Jesus Isn’t Coming This Year
After a day of shopping for Christmas presents, I’ve had it with this holiday. Call me Scrooge if you like, but the truth is, after a day of malls, traffic, shoppers and receipts, I can’t imagine a more un-Christlike activity than the capitalist flurry we call Christmas.
Holidays are stressful. With all the family to please, the perfect gifts to give, the food to cook, the guests to host, and the decorations to adorn, no wonder the post-Christmas hangover lasts until Easter. Nonetheless, we scurry our bundled butts to the store and scour the aisles in hopes of a present that is unique, not too expensive, and will accurately represent our relationship to the recipient. It’s no mystery Madison Avenue enjoys this time of year. A quick stroll through the mall shows me that Victoria’s Secret wants me to be sexy, Apple wants me to be trendy, and the Gap wants to make sure I fit in. But who wants to make sure I am loved?
On top of all the materialism is a conservative Christian base that wants to make sure that we Christians are responsible for all of the above materialism. “Forget the Jews and the Kwanzaa lovers; this is our materialist capitalist holiday!” they shout. I can’t think of anything sadder. At a time when this same group wants to make sure all babies are born, that no gays say “I do,” and that tax cuts find their way to the suburbs, why would they want to own what has become such an empty, shallow holiday?
Look at the hypocrisy of the whole spectacle: we hoard material possessions, we spend money on ourselves, we get frustrated at the traffic jams and slow register lines, and we lavishly decorate homes we spent way too much on in the first place. And we do it all because we think we’re honoring the man who told us that earthly possessions are meaningless, that charity means giving more than we feel appropriate, and that thoughts of anger are the same as murder.
In a comment on Tuesday’s post, someone asked if I thought American Christianity has had political and conservative agendas placed upon it. Of course. But now, after a day in which the multitudes were scrambling for iPods and gift cards, I will go one step further: American Christianity is officially morally bankrupt.
This didn’t happen overnight. When the first American Christians drove slave ships across the Atlantic, things pretty much hit bottom. When churches excluded non-whites and barred women from preaching, things obviously didn’t improve. And when churches fled the cities in search of wealthy, white suburbs, the legacy was all but sealed. Political agendas have rung forth from pulpits both liberal and conservative for years. Yes, every now and then, there is a glimmer of hope, when the best of us serve in some selfless way, or give in some gracious manner. But, for the most part, we whitewash our religion with excuses we deem ‘blessings,’ all so we can sleep better at night.
I wish I could offer a path of redemption. I wish I could offer hope for American Christianity, just as hope was offered to us in the form of a screaming baby in a dirty manger. But, like the Jesus story, it’s never that simple. There’s no denying that major changes are afoot. People, young people in particular, are fed up. They can see the social discrepancies long ignored by American churches and can be silent no longer. We’re not just talking about ruffling some feathers or rocking the boat; we’re talking about a revolution.
Some think Jesus is applauding them for waging war on secular culture and redeeming the Christian holy day of Christmas. Then, they go out to eat and out to shop, content in supporting businesses that take advantage of the least of these. But, I think Jesus is staying put this Christmas. He won’t be showing up in your malls or shopping centers, and chances are he won’t be in your Christmas service, whether it’s on the 24th or the 25th. Like me, he’s probably just tired – tired of all the people and events that continue on, thinking they have his endorsement. Instead of buying presents and getting 24 months no interest financing, Jesus is where he’s always been: in the streets, healing lepers, forgiving sinners, telling stories, and bringing hope.
Holidays are stressful. With all the family to please, the perfect gifts to give, the food to cook, the guests to host, and the decorations to adorn, no wonder the post-Christmas hangover lasts until Easter. Nonetheless, we scurry our bundled butts to the store and scour the aisles in hopes of a present that is unique, not too expensive, and will accurately represent our relationship to the recipient. It’s no mystery Madison Avenue enjoys this time of year. A quick stroll through the mall shows me that Victoria’s Secret wants me to be sexy, Apple wants me to be trendy, and the Gap wants to make sure I fit in. But who wants to make sure I am loved?
On top of all the materialism is a conservative Christian base that wants to make sure that we Christians are responsible for all of the above materialism. “Forget the Jews and the Kwanzaa lovers; this is our materialist capitalist holiday!” they shout. I can’t think of anything sadder. At a time when this same group wants to make sure all babies are born, that no gays say “I do,” and that tax cuts find their way to the suburbs, why would they want to own what has become such an empty, shallow holiday?
Look at the hypocrisy of the whole spectacle: we hoard material possessions, we spend money on ourselves, we get frustrated at the traffic jams and slow register lines, and we lavishly decorate homes we spent way too much on in the first place. And we do it all because we think we’re honoring the man who told us that earthly possessions are meaningless, that charity means giving more than we feel appropriate, and that thoughts of anger are the same as murder.
In a comment on Tuesday’s post, someone asked if I thought American Christianity has had political and conservative agendas placed upon it. Of course. But now, after a day in which the multitudes were scrambling for iPods and gift cards, I will go one step further: American Christianity is officially morally bankrupt.
This didn’t happen overnight. When the first American Christians drove slave ships across the Atlantic, things pretty much hit bottom. When churches excluded non-whites and barred women from preaching, things obviously didn’t improve. And when churches fled the cities in search of wealthy, white suburbs, the legacy was all but sealed. Political agendas have rung forth from pulpits both liberal and conservative for years. Yes, every now and then, there is a glimmer of hope, when the best of us serve in some selfless way, or give in some gracious manner. But, for the most part, we whitewash our religion with excuses we deem ‘blessings,’ all so we can sleep better at night.
I wish I could offer a path of redemption. I wish I could offer hope for American Christianity, just as hope was offered to us in the form of a screaming baby in a dirty manger. But, like the Jesus story, it’s never that simple. There’s no denying that major changes are afoot. People, young people in particular, are fed up. They can see the social discrepancies long ignored by American churches and can be silent no longer. We’re not just talking about ruffling some feathers or rocking the boat; we’re talking about a revolution.
Some think Jesus is applauding them for waging war on secular culture and redeeming the Christian holy day of Christmas. Then, they go out to eat and out to shop, content in supporting businesses that take advantage of the least of these. But, I think Jesus is staying put this Christmas. He won’t be showing up in your malls or shopping centers, and chances are he won’t be in your Christmas service, whether it’s on the 24th or the 25th. Like me, he’s probably just tired – tired of all the people and events that continue on, thinking they have his endorsement. Instead of buying presents and getting 24 months no interest financing, Jesus is where he’s always been: in the streets, healing lepers, forgiving sinners, telling stories, and bringing hope.
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Comment (1)
10:02 PM
Cheers mate! Just found your blog and have to take issue with this and previous posts.
The Jesus Isn't Coming This Year post echoes a distintive antagonism as seen in previous posts. I ask you at what pinnacle of social acceptance was "American christianity" at before the slave trade, or before women's right to vote or before the end of segregation. Weren't these all traits of a society travelling from ancient Rome if not before?
I, sir, am a protagonist that favours the achievements of Western culture. Amidst traditions that do not adhere to your definition of christianity exists a society that has conquered numerous injustices, and in spite of the hardships of rapid change, I contend that Western culture has been victorious in comparison to alternatives.
Cheers
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