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CHRISTMAS PRESENTS or CHRISTMAS PRESENCE?“Stores slash prices by 50%” So ran the headline in a newspaper at the beginning of December. The promotion, encouraging us to buy more to get a bargain, is directed at our need to obtain material gifts to display how much we value one another. The other day, I went to Marks and Spencer. There was 20% off, it was packed and people were spending large sums of money, ‘& More’ cards were in abundance. The hype and the queues would almost be enough to make us run away from the commercialism that reaches its peak at this time of the year. We will buy Christmas presents, but thankfully there are people who are giving to a multitude of good causes and helping the needy. Let me therefore say many thanks to all those who have given through the Cathedral to Christian work at home and overseas. One church I know has decided not to celebrate Christmas at all this year, as they have become so concerned about over commercialisation. I would suggest a different approach Rather than abstain or withdraw from Christmas, perhaps some of us might be called to ask questions of our age and culture. Questions like: why so many people seem to prefer chip and pin rather than say the simple words “I love you” to each other? Or why, when most people would prefer simply to have more quality time with the ones they love most, we keep falling for the lie that Christmas gifts say more about our love and affection than the attentive giving of our very selves. “Happy Christmas darling - here’s two weeks of my full and undivided attention - from your ever-loving husband”. It’s a present that does little to boost retail values, but everything to promote Gospel values. And you don’t even need to put it on plastic. Faced with a choice between Christmas presents and Christmas presence, I know what I would choose. That’s why we need to make the choice to put Christ at the very heart of our Christmas celebrations. We want to celebrate in a way that honours the true meaning of Christmas, to worship, to spend time with Christ the King, born to be our saviour and redeemer. Taking this approach to the Christmas season means that having spent time building our relationship with Jesus we can go back into the culture, our office parties, school concerts and shopping centres and live out ourselves a better way of doing Christmas relationally. Wishing you the deep sense of Christ’s presence with you this Christmas. Sam Wright |
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