Well, I did warn I would post rather infrequently. It's been,
what, over a month since I've posted anything? I'm not very good at this. I do
have many a various different excuses, which I'm sure, if you're reading this,
you don't need to hear.
I'm highly unsure of what I intend to say,
although I did say this was a bit of an outlet for some of my many random
thoughts, so, Christmas having just passed, I might have a small rant.
Rant? Christmas? Surely those two concepts don’t go together, you’re
thinking. Think a little harder, for just a second, if you would. First and
foremost, I have yet to understand what reindeer have to do with Christmas at
all, let alone one with a bulbous, red, shiny nose. And why was that reindeer
guiding a flying sleigh? How have we twisted Christmas to accommodate such
pointless fairytales? Where did the North Pole come in to any of it?
And why is a fat man in a red suit a Christmas icon? For sure, the
story goes that he was Saint Nicholas, a generous man, giving to those in great
need. I have no problem with that – giving to others is an admirable thing to
do. What I do have a problem with is the fact that now we idolise the fat man
in the red suit at Christmas, and not for his generosity, but for what he can
give to us (even though the version of him that our greed has created doesn’t
exist). He doesn’t only give to the needy, he gives to the ‘good’. “Have you
been good for Santa? What do you want him to get you? Be good, or Santa won’t
come!” We shouldn’t need to hang the threat of not receiving presents from a
mythical man over our children’s heads in order to make them behave, nor should
we encourage this material greed which is now seemingly all that comes about
from the Christmas season.
Present are fine, and eating nice food is OK, too. But when we
forget the real point of Christmas, it just becomes another excuse for greed.
I, personally, believe Christmas is about the birth of a Saviour, who
selflessly became like us so we could be restored to God, but even if you don’t
believe that, shouldn’t there be more to Christmas? It should be a time for
joy, and we should share that joy with those who are finding it hard to come
by. We could share a few dollars, a meal, or even just a smile, with someone
who is hard done by. We ourselves are so lucky to have what we do, and the real
joy of Christmas comes in giving, not in getting. So why should we be so greedy
and self-centred? I think we should all take time during the Christmas season
to selflessly give, and find, in that giving, the true meaning of Christmas.
