Afterthoughts on Christmas

As some of you may know from reading previous entries, I am not a huge fan of Christmas.  It isn't that I'm a Scrooge or a Grinch.  It's that I despise how something that was meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the ultimate gift" as been so distorted into a holiday that proliferates our nations consumerism (is that a word?) and teaches our children greed and self-entitlement.  Because, let's be honest, even when our kids are horribly behaved all year long, we still lavish them with presents. 

When I was a kid, we got a crapload of presents. We even still received "Santa" presents long after we'd learned that Santa was really mom and dad.  We got crazy expensives stuff, like a go-cart, a water bed, an entertainment center, a curio cabinet, porcelain dolls and figurines, and a number of other things I can't recall.  There was always something huge and expensive in the living room waiting for us on Christmas morning.  There were always presents galore and scads of toys and games and gifts.  Our stockings always overflowed with jewelry and make up and mittens and beanies and candy.  As a kid, I really didn't understand the importance of giving, because we were upper-middle-class, and money wasn't an object.  It wasn't that I was ungrateful, or that I felt I deserved the gifts.  It wasn't about selfishness or self-entitlement.  We simple asked, and usually we received the exact thing we asked for.

Looking back I wonder how Christmas didn't put mom and dad in debt for six months.  

Of course, I grew up, and had to learn to live on a budget.  Had to learn that I really didn't have to wear designer clothes or high-priced shoes.  And I learned that life was not about receiving.  Life isn't about what people give you or what you think you deserve.  But life is about giving.  And I learned that it's just as fun and exciting to carefully choose a gift for friends or family members and watch them open it.  It's just as fun to see the excitement and thrill of getting a gift light up their faces and bring complete and total joy to their eyes.  And I have found through the years that gift-giving is a love language of mine.  I love doing special things for people...giving them things and blessing them.  So, I always go overboard at Christmas for my family.  I can't help it.  It's one of my favorite ways to express love.  However, I am a practical gift-giver.  So, things kind of even themselves out.  I won't go buy something that has limited use or that they'll be tired of in a month.  And I don't believe in giving kids oodles and oodles of toys. I believe in a balance.  Of course, they should get toys and games, but they should also receive practical gifts, such as new clothing and books and the like.  Things that will last.  Things they'll get your money's worth through the use.  Because, to me, the importance doesn't rest in what the gift is, so much as the time and effort and thought and love put into the giving of that gift.

This year, budgets were tight, and I didn't get as much as I have in the past.  I knew going in that I'd be lucky to have two or three tangible presents from my family members.  I could have been upset about that.  I could have been hurt that I'd saved and budgeted so that I could really give this year, and all i got in return was a couple of gift cards, some candy in my stocking that I'd paid for, and a new sleep set.  But I wasn't hurt.  I wasn't hurt because I know that what I received was given out of love.  And even more importantly, I knew that. while it's fun and exciting to "get" it is so much more joyous to give. 

Seeing my mom's gratitude for all the new ribbons and sewing material she got, or my little brothers excitement about their video games and new clothes, or my sister's happiness over the handmade wind chime, or my brother-in-law's thankfulness for the gun-cleaning kit, meant more to me than if I'd gotten a thousand dollars worth of gifts.

I am not usually a fan of churches putting cutesy sayings on their signs.  I find most of them lame and corny, and I feel like we miss the mark by trying to make a fun rhyme to entice people to attend our services...or use it as an attempt to encourage.  Don't get me wrong...if it ministers to someone that's great, but most of the time I shake my head and think, "that's ridiculous.  no one would take that seriously."  But I saw a church sign the other day that said this:  "It's HIS birthday, but WE got the gift."  And I thought to myself: How true.

Because of that sign, I feel challenged to always remember the GIFT that is the true meaning of Christmas.  And more than that, I feel challenged to share that gift, because it isn't some finite thing.  It's not like a shirt that will wear out.  It's not a video game that will become obsolete in three years.  It's not something that can be used up or consumed like chocolates or candy.  It's not something that will perish, like flowers or plants or a pet.  The gift He gave us through His birth, death, and resurrection is LIFE and LOVE.  And this LIFE is never-ending.  And this LOVE is eternal and unconditional.

So, I guess what I'm saying in all this is that if we must celebrate Christmas, then we MUST celebrate the GIFT of Christmas.  And the GIFT of Christmas is not what Santa leaves that night, nor is it the receiving of gifts from friends and family.  Rather, it is the GIFT of Jesus, of His Birth, Life, Ministry, Death, and Resurrection.  Because Jesus is the only GIFT worth having.  Without Him, all the toys and shoes and clothes and money in the world is just junk.

Sometimes People Surprise You...

It's true.  You think you've got a person all figured out.  You write that person off as a selfish jerk only concerned about himself/herself.  And then...he/she shows you he/she has a heart.  It's nothing big.  Maybe just a quick glimpse at a moment where he/she is genuinely remorseful for a word or deed...maybe a brief moment of selflessness or thoughtfulness or sweetness.  And in that brief encounter he/she acknowldge that he/she is not completely and totally oblivious to his/her stupidity or selfishness or butthole-ness. 

And it kind of sets your world on its ear for a little while.  And you think, "Hey, maybe he/she isn't beyond help or conviction or whatever.  You think that maybe this is a moment of change because there's some acknowledgement of wrong.  Maybe there's hope.

And then just as suddenly as it came down, the wall goes back up, and the jerk comes back out, and you're left shaking your head in disappointment. 

Because, apparently, he/she don't see any personal benefit in not being a complete and total jackass.  Apparently, being thoughtful and kind and selfless doesn't have enough perks.  And, well, it's all about the perks, isn't it?  And that just makes you want to scream.

And then you take a moment and try to get over the emotions of it all and face the facts.  It's hard for people to change.  It was hard for you to change.  And because you know that, you stop being judgmental, and you do the only thing you can for this person who knows what he/she does is wrong and hurtful, who knows he/she needs to change but just doesn't want to put forth the effort.

You get down on your knees, close your eyes as tight as humanly possible, and pray as if the entire world depended upon it.

Give Me Hanukkah!

What’s the big deal about Hanukkah?  The short answer is this:  around 168 BC, Israel was ruled by the Syrians.  During their rule, the leader, Antiochus Epiphanes, has defiled the temple by killing a pig (which is unclean in Jewish custom) and sprinkling its blood on the altar, destroyed the scrolls and enslaved the Jews.  In 164 BC an entire village led by a guy named Judah Maccabbee decided they weren’t going to put up with Antiochus’ crap, and the armed themselves with pitchforks and swords – just a few hundred folks – and attacked the Syrians nightly until they defeated them and drove them away.  Hanukkah is the celebration of that victory.

But what does that have to do with lighting candles?  After the Maccabee’s defeated the Syrian army, they went to the temple to rededicate it to the Lord.  When they got there, they saw that there wasn’t a whole lot of oil left.  Maybe enough for one night.  But they lit it anyway, and rededicated the temple.  And then…a miracle.  The oil in the candelabra lasted eight days.  Eight days of light, when there was only enough oil for one night.  And so, Hanukkah was to celebrate the defeat of the Syrians and the miracle of the eight days of light.

Okay, Kas, that’s fine.  But why do you choose to celebrate Hanukkah over Christmas?  You’re a Christian, not a Jew…and well, it is CHRISTmas, after all.  Well, I’m glad you asked.  Here’s the deal.  I believe that the Bible teaches that when we become Christians, we become adopted sons and daughters of God.  Now…whether people want to admit this or not…Jesus was a Jew, and so, God’s family is and has always been Jewish.  So, God has adopted this gentile and made her a Jew by accepting her into His family.  But beyond that…it’s simply that Jewish holidays are God’s holidays.  They mean something.  Every single feast and festival has a deeper meaning.  And everything in the Jewish faith, from the feasts and festivals, to the Levitical law, to the stories and traditions written in the Torah point to Jesus.  Hanukkah is no different.  Don’t believe me?  Okay…I’ll prove it.

To Celebrate Hanukkah, there are 9 candles used.  The first and most important candle is the Shamash, which in Hebrew, stands for “servant.”  This Servant candle is taller than all the other candles placed on the Hanukkiah…or Menorah.  This candle is lit first, and is always used to light the other candles.  The remaining candles signify each night that the oil lasted in after the Maccabean dedication of the temple.  

As Christians, we know that Jesus is the Light of the World.  John 1:4-5 says “In Him was the life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” 

We also know that Jesus came as a servant, not as a King.  “And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." Mark 9:35.  And we know he was the ultimate servant to us and to His father because of His obedience to go to the cross.

We also know that numbers are important in the Bible.  Each day of the 8-day feast commemorates a specific purpose.

Day 1: One True God – who is Yahweh, God the Father.

Day 2: Unity – in marriage, two become one.  In Christ we become one with the Father.

Day 3: Tri-Unity – the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Day 4: Judgment – His light shines, but only those who realize they are in darkness can see it.  And He is the ultimate judge of souls.

Day 5:  Grace – God is gracious and forgiving and merciful.  And He imparts that grace to us.

Day 6: Creation – God created the world in 6 days…not 7 as many people mistakenly believe.

Day 7: Rest and Completion: …and on the seventh day god ended His work which He had done, and He rested (Genesis 2:3)

Day 8:  New Beginnings – What is more of a new beginning than a restoration of true worship in the temple of the Lord?

Still don’t believe me?  Well…I have one more thing that might convince you.  What if I told you that Jesus wasn’t born during the winter, when Hanukkah is celebrated, but that he was conceived during that time?  The Bible tells us in Luke 1 that John the Baptist was born 6 months prior to Jesus…and studies have determined that he was born around Passover, which is traditionally during March.  If you add six months to that, you put Christ’s birth in late September, during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.  And if you subtract three months from that, well, that’d be December, wouldn’t it?  Interesting, no?

Listen, I don’t expect the world to stop celebrating Christmas.  It ain’t gonna happen.  But, I’d rather celebrate Hanukkah because it was established for a real reason…by God’s people, to celebrate Him.  Not just as some church service to combat the Pagan rituals of the winter solstice.  So, the next time you get down on your knees before a tree and talk about Santa Claus and reindeer, and all that other commercial BUNK, pause to think about the things we really ought to be celebrating.  I’ll give you a hint…it isn’t ourselves, and it isn’t commercialism.

Really? 20 minutes of Nekkid?

Okay...so I was really excited yesterday when I had the day off from work to go watch a couple of movies that I'd heard were good.  I have liked Anne Hathaway's work since The Princess Diaries when it came out ten years ago.  GEEZ - hard to believe it's been that long.  anyway...I've always liked every movie I watched with Anne Hathaway.  And I've enjoyed the movies I've seen Jake Gyllenhaal in...especially last years Brothers with Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman.  (I avoided Brokeback Mountain, and you can't blame me for that.)  So...I saw the trailer for their movie Love & Other Drugs a couple months ago, and was very excited and intrigued.  I had heard that there would be a little nudity...and knew going in that the language was probably not good, and there would be at least one sex scene, because apparently, it is unlawful in Hollywood to make a movie now without the two main characters "sleeping" together.

But I was NOT prepared for over 20 minutes of nakedness.  And it wasn't just nekkid Jake with nekkid Anne.  It was Anne lopping her boob out at a Doctors's appointment on camera, for no good reason other than showing her boob.  It was nekkid Jake with three or four other nekkid girls across the entire course of the movie.  And it was girls nekkid making out with each other.  And it was a shot of an obscenely overweight guy's backside while he was "sleeping" with a girl.

And it didn't just stop with nekkid people going at it like rabbits.  It was bedroom noises heard through a door, and a guy enjoying himself while watching a sex-tape, and it was terrible language, very lewd actions, and more sexual innuendos than should be allowed in a 2-hour movie.  And I kept reminding myself that inside this movie of nekkid people having sex, there was a sweet, interesting story about a boy with deeply ingrained self-esteem issues and a girl with a horrible, degenerative disease, who use sex as a way to cope with their tragedy or their shortcomings.  And, it's true, that when you stripped away all the sex scenes, and the lewd gestures, and horrible language, there really was a heart-felt, poignant story being told.

But, SERIOUSLY? Was it really necessary to sully the sweetness of that story with all the bare boobs and backsides, and barely covered "other" parts? 

I'm a girl, and I like looking at a handsome man with a strong, muscular man chest any old day of the week.  I'm not going to pretend otherwise.  And I know guys like looking at attractive women in various states of undress.  It's only human nature.  But too far is too far.  And as much as I liked the storyline...I can't help feeling that the sex and nskin cheapened it and cheated me out of really enjoying the movie.  I've seen more of Jake Gyllenhaal and Annd Hathaway that I ever cared to see. 

And now, instead of feeling uplifted by the sweetness of the story...I just feel dirty.

Santa, Reindeer, Trees? Thanks, but no.

I know...it's crazy.  But I am - in a general sense - highly anti-Christmas.  Not because I don't believe in celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus.  But because it has turned into this commercial holiday about getting stuff and expecting gifts and feeding our greed, and going into debt so we don't disappoint our children, who may or may not have been good this year...but who still get these ridiculous presents regardless of their behavior.

And then there's this business with Santa Claus becoming the focus instead of Jesus.  Okay...so maybe Jesus wasn't born this time of year, but that doesn't matter.  Christmas IS NOT about reindeer and Santa Claus and snow men.  It's not about blackmailing your children into behaving well by telling them Santa won't bring them presents.  It's not about that.  It's about Jesus, and dad gummit, it ticks me off that our commercialism and our selfishness has kicked Him to the curb.

And don't even get me started on Christmas trees.  You know there's a passage in Jeremiah 10:1-10 about a pagan ritual where people cut down trees, put them up in their homes like a shrine, about fashioning shrines out of gold and silver, decorating in blues and purples.  And they revered these idols. 

"But, Kasidee," you say, "we don't worship the trees." 

Really?  how do you get the presents out from under them?  You get down on your knees and pull them out.  You might not literally be worshipping them, but you can be sure that the devil is chuckling because you're unintentionally bowing down to it.  And that might be fine.  Your heart may not be bowing down to that tree, but i'm not willing to be made a fool of like that.

And now, you can't tell people "Merry Christmas" without dealing with being politically uncorrect.  PLEASE!  we can say "Happy Hannukah" or "Happy Kwanza" or some other religious holiday, but we can't say "Merry Christmas" even though "Christmas" is the name of the holiday - and only because it has the word "Christ" in it.  what CRAP!  When I see you in public, I'm gonna tell you "Merry Christmas" and you can send your "Happy Holidays" down the river.

No...I don't like celebrating the Christmas that has evolved.  Give me a celebration of Jesus - give me a day of gratefulness for the blessing of Jesus Christ who came as a baby in humbleness - give me a holiday about the birth of our Lord - give me a feast or festival or holiday about the great Light of the world that came to this earth and illuminated the dark.  I'll celebrate that holday. 

Wait...there is a holiday that celebrates all those things.  Yes, that's right.  Forget Christmas.  Give me Hannukah. 

The Meaning of Hannukah to Christians - BLOG TO COME.