Every Christmas or holiday greeting this year seems to include some reference to the Grinch Covid-19 trying to steal Christmas from us again! It is most certainly a communication winner as it readily ‘takes us all in.’ We know what that’s about, and probably also agree with the grinchiness of it all!
At the risk of appearing a bit grinchy myself (quite in character, some say) I need to weigh in on this a bit. I wonder what form of Christmas is threatened here? I remember many Christmases of bygone years when I was serving as church pastor. That annual celebration came with quite a load of expectations. December 24 evening candlelight services featured best attendance of the year, mostly composed of children and grandchildren of church members showing up with bright shining faces and parents proudly introducing their brood to the pastor! How inspiring is this? It was fun actually, but also visualize the pastor thinking to himself, “So where were you the other 364 days of this past year?” This holiday church ritual fit well into the shopping mall, commercialized version back then, and we wink at and participate in repeatedly year after year.
Even in this 2021 covid-challenged shopping environment, and among other cautious shoppers, I have noted several times browsing among Christmas or Holiday cards, almost a catchphrase, “the true meaning of Christmas” – not overly religious, no Bible references, although there may be a picture of angels and baby Jesus right beside the next card with Santa Claus and cookies. This ‘true meaning of Christmas’ phrase-in-passing obviously designed for the annual church attendees and holiday shoppers leaves me wondering what is that true meaning about to be spoiled by the grinch? Is it the biblical meaning gone missing because the yuppies have not needed church this past year? Is it parents of children growing up too fast wishing Santa might once more bring the delight of Christmas morning to their ‘little ones’? Is it the sentiment of family gatherings just a few years prior when all the kids were able to gather at grandma’s house and no fear of Covid-19? Or perhaps it is “Seasons Greetings” for the open-minded educated woke crowd who just want the party not to be too offensive to anyone, and equally
accommodating of every latest version of decoration, be it Halloween, Christmas or Valentines, whatever gives opportunity to spend money on air compressors and electronic LED creativity. 😏 Or is it just my thinker again, somewhat cynical, admittedly winter SAD depressed (see my last post, Dec 13), smiling this time, but wondering – legitimately I think – what is the true meaning of Christmas?
I suppose now I have set myself up for it, kind of positing enough scenarios that I now need to provide my well thought out articulation of true meaning? No not really. Not yet! Indulge me please as I go on a bit. My observations continue in the discipline obviously of my interest and also of my training. Yes, my life-calling was and is ever there even in retirement. This trucker always wanders into the theological scene! [My trucker friends always waited for this, unlike my family or fellow church people! Yes it's true.😇] So here I says it as I sees it again.
True meaning is at risk even in churches planning the annual show! Recently I read a blog by a good friend, critiquing our need to provide definitive salvation answers (he refers to his upbringing in that environment) with exact explanations, either of who God is, or how to experience God and even what to do with that knowledge. Clear answers; clear expectations. Too often, says he, with that expectation of certainty, we shortchange ourselves of the wondrous eternal mysterious Presence. He makes a case not for skipping the church services, but for speaking with one another more, relating to God in conversation and relationship with one another, sometimes even ‘talking around an issue, but at least talking.’ Although his blogpost was not an attempt to nail the true meaning, I think he points in that direction. True meaning is more than a systematic theological statement (Old Testament wisdom literature would say the same. eg Ecclesiastes 12:12, Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body). True meaning is more than a slavish prescription; it must include experience.
I hope experience is not lost in some of the creative 'efforts' being made in churches these days. We have writers and communications coordinators and promoters who work for churches, regional or national conference offices - specialized career jobs actually. Mostly the fruit of their labor shows up in links and websites available for us to seek and find at the click of finger. Old resources have a new look. For example this year's Advent series designed for my church denomination. Longstanding advent Sundays of Waiting, Joy, Praise, Hope this year replaced with Imagine. Yes imagine, the go-to word of late. Imagine the new ways of God! Dare to Imagine: God's Goodness; God's Embrace; God's Song; God's Face; ... even God's Dance! Very creative, very modern, non-sexist with inclusive language, non-offensive with scripture allusions some of them even coming from the good old lectionary, but carefully chosen to meet the above criteria! It is a creation of those trained in communications technology, not so much in theology. [This however is not final word on this. Two days after pressing Publish on this post, I read an article precisely on topic, "Web 3.0 and the Church: New Internet Technologies present new options - and questions - for Christians," Mitchell Atencio, Sojourners. January, 2022, p.30. Stay tuned!] Perhaps those Christmas cards with their nod towards true meaning, are as close to the truth as church services and performances. Perhaps it would be just as well for me to look at the shopper standing beside me, and say in a friendly inquisitive manner, “True meaning of Christmas? Hmm, what you think it is?” The ensuing conversation could well be as ‘true’ as that service I was planning to attend that evening - and at least as imaginative! Maybe if I blog about it enough, or talk it through with my significant others – ie wife, children, grandchildren, and neighbors and friends regardless of ethnic origin or societal status, good possibility of encountering the true meaning! For me, it’s still about that Christ child come among us, and still available for grinches and all, in church and beyond church, in covid and beyond covid. The child’s mother still says it best:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46-47)
