A Christmas Story

Recently, Yahoo posted a story from Time, in which a group of so-called Christians were sitting around lamenting the commercialization of The commemoration of the birth of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. The greatest event in human history, the birth of God incarnate, the word made flesh fully God and Fully man, has become somehow cheapened, by the emphasizes on gift giving, the frenzied activity to find and buy just the right gift, the long lines, and of course the feeling that it is obligatory to do these things, what on earth they mused, does this sort of thing have to do with the birth of our lord, and how on earth can this possibly support the reverence that should be associated with this holiday -- Nobody is focused on Jesus.

This idea that somehow Christmas is cheapened by it's so called commercialization, which actually incubated by an evangelical or fundamentalist, "fundie" group and hatched into something called the "Advent Movement." Evidently a number of these co-conspirators, from the article I deduce at least three, to save Christmas from it's celebration, were in fact sitting around their pastor's office, and I guess the got tired of discussion the Pope as anti-Christ; so one of them mentioned that the dreaded Christmas, the frenzied activity the pressure to buy gifts and to buy the right gift to please another, was evidently more than this man could bear to think about.

Now in all fairness the "Advent Conspiracy" (interesting name) does good work evidently drilling wells for fresh water in countries where there is a need for this. On there other hand, have they never heard of Catholic Relief Services, who have been doing this sort of thing for decades year-'round.

It is interesting that the whole "advent conspiracy Idea started from a group of fundies sitting around complaining about how they hate Christmas, and thus the pastors found themselves in the strange position of not believing in what they were preaching.

So, their idea was to ask their congregations to lighten up on the gift buying and heavy up on the contributions to ... well to them the pastors who were complaining about the commercialization. And so as it turns out the whole "Advent Conspiracy" ( again aptly named) idea is about fundie pastors not so much being concerned about the commercialization of Christmas, but wanting a bigger piece of the Christmas pie for themselves.

Generally what motivates fundies or fundamentalists or evangelicals or conservative Christians or what ever you want to call the Fundamentalist movement that rose to prominence during the Regan Revolution, what its at the foundation of this movement, what is fundamental is a conservative socio-political point of view. Essential to promoting this point of view is money. So the Bible and religion are twisted to support this socio-political point of view and money of course is needed to support it.

It is not the author’s intent to negate the good work that came from digging the wells nor the positive publicity that came to the Advent conspiracy for using some of the extra money that was diverted for the buyin of gifts to the coffers of fundie pastors. What is the percentage of increase and where did the money that the congregations were encouraged to put in the basket rather than spend on their families, where did this go.

I think you can see where this write is going with this. The "Advent Conspiracy" and indeed this whole storey has nothing to do with de-commercializing Christmas except as it diverts money form he traditional gift giving into the coffers of fundie pastors, to do with as they will, and what they will is to promote their conservative political agenda, which ultimately includes the persecution of Catholics and our destruction.

So, if the “Advent Conspiracy” is not really about de-commercialization and really is about, giving fundie pastors a larger piece of the Christmas pie, what is the truth about gift giving, what is the true story and meaning of Christmas. How do gift giving, frenzied activity, shopping for just the right gift for a person fit into the Christmas season, and how does this so-called commercialization actually support the Christmas story, Catholicism. Why other than the shift from gifts to the coffers of the fundie pastors is the idea of the Advent conspiracy out of step with the Christmas story and with Christianity.

What is gift giving about, how does spending money on expensive gifts actually fit into and support the Christmas story. How does the self sacrifice of frenzied activity, waiting in long lines and finding just the right gift support the true meaning of Christmas.

The tradition of giving gifts dates back to the original Nativity and the three kings or wise men. As we remember from scripture and our Catholic history of tradition, the three kings followed the start for years. Relying on their royal astrologers they new that a great king was to be born under the star.

Their long time following the start across geographic and political boundaries represents the long time we spend in lines at stores and shopping malls, in preparation for the giving of our gifts to those who matter to us under the star we are following atop the Christmas tree.

The pouring over the astrological charts the frenzied packing and unpacking to get to the right place is representative of the frenzied activity that takes place in subsequent Christmas. As we consult the internet, newspaper ads, rumors of friends to obtain that one gift a child has requested in order to make their Christmas happy, so they will remember the day, and pass it on.

And so on Christmas morning, after we finally get a chance to rest, so we think as parents; because we are after all this frenzied activity we are awakened by pitter patter, squeals, the release of repressed anticipation, and smiling faces. For these little ones for whom we have endured it all just like the thre wise men endured it all for the little one under the star. For these little ones have already been downstairs, or in some cases across the room, and have observed that under the star, where just the night before and all week before there was nothing, now there are gifts covered in brightly colored paper, and they wonder if St. Nicolas was able to come through in his promise to find just the requested toy popular recording, piece of clothing that everybody is getting, that will light up their eyes and remain be their most prized possession for at least a couple of months.

Little do they know that it was their parents who have probably now only slept for a couple of hours, much like the wise men on that first Christmas morning, and awakened with their own anticipation of seeing the lit up faces as they observe the gifts under the star that they made possible yet give the credit to St. Nicolas or Santa Claus as he has become known. And with that same joy and anticipation that the three wise men felt they too sit under that star and present their gifts to these children.

But of course as Catholics we know that we live the life presented to us by the grown Jesus in Matt 25:31-46, for in that scripture Jesus himself said what ever you did for the least of these among you, you did for me.

So, during the Christmas season with it’s frenzied shopping waiting in line, spending too much money and following a star to make sure our gifts are presented to Jesus on Christmas morning under the star, and pass this on to our children, anonymously; we now can see the true spirit of the season, yes Jesus is the reason for the season, dah, and according to Matt 25:31-46, we see Jesus in the faces of the children and all of those for whom we have followed a star starting the day after Thanksgiving and culminating in the presentation for our gifts to Jesus under the star atop the tree, just as the three wise men did over 2000 years ago.

In this tradition of commercialization, and frenzied activity is everything that is Christian, and the “Advent Conspiracy” and their bah humbug, in order to enrich themselves, I say me thinks thou doest protest too much.

And so once again the fundies miss the point, in their zeal to promote their socio-political goals they attempt even to remove Christ from Christmas. Their protest is against America and Jesus, out of ignorance and premeditated zeal to destroy America, by taking Christ – the spirit of giving and sacrifice for others –out of the manger and replacing Him with their own socio-political goals. They are the ones who take the nativity scenes out of our public squares, they are the ones who forget the sprit of Christmas and do not know the nativity story.

And one more thing as I contemplate these “so-called” Christians sitting in their pastors office reading the path of the wise men. What about the father and mother who cannot afford to follow the star. Whether this situation be temporary, due to the current economic down turn, or more endemic? What about these parents? What do you think? We they not give anything do they not pray for the one thing that these fundie Grinchs dread; the ability to participate in this Christian tradition of following the star as the wise men did on that first Christmas. World they not give anything to switch places with these men who have the luxury of dreading Christmas.

This year our parish gave out triple the number of food and toy baskets as they did last year, so that those, who do not have enough this year can also participate in the waiting of lines and to have something under the star Christmas morning.

Honestly as a Catholic who was brought up, thankfully, by my parents who sacrificed each and every year to put those gifts under the star that they followed from thanksgiving to Christmas morning, I can think of nothing more selfish and self serving than this “Advent Conspiracy.” Better they get with a Catholic and understand how in our commercialism and frenzied activity Jesus is the reason for the season. Another bit of scripture comes to mind when I think of these men sitting around the pastors office dreading Christmas, and that is when Jesus met secretly with Nicodemus, and he, Nicodemus asked our lord how a man can be born again, Jesus’s reply was to first explain you hear the sound of the wind but you don’t know from where it comes and to where it goes; explaining to him the spiritual realm, which Nicodemus was supposed to be teaching to God’s chosen people. And then Jesus says to Nicodemus as I say to these fundies, You call yourself a teacher of Israel (those who know and follow God) and yet you do not know these things?

Below is a link to the advent conspiracy article.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20091215/us_time/08599194759000