I'm always a little ambivalent about Christmas. I don't have any bad
memories of Christmas Past, I think it is just all the
commercialization. I recently read the early Roman merchants complained
about slow holiday seasons. Seems the bottom line has always relied on
good Christmas sales. It always comes to my consciousness that perhaps
Christmas was always a way to help the bottom line, rather than to
celebrate the birth of Christ. I suppose it really doesn't matter. The
story, whether fiction or non-fiction, economic or spiritual, is still a
great one. Christmas is the time for giving.
Giving. You give in
proportion to what you can afford. A rich person giving a million
dollars is no more admirable than a poor person giving a dollar. The
point is to give with no intention of receiving. And it should be until
you can feel it, not just your pocket change.
Peace. Peace is
another yuletide word thrown around a lot. This year, it will once again
be just a wish, as we remain at war. Maybe we need to concentrate on
inner peace, or peace with your family, or neighbors. What a Christmas
it would be, if all of us made a commitment to remain physically and
verbally non-violent. That would set the stage for a more loving world.
And
Love. Another word frequently used at Christmas. To love and
be loved. A hard word to define. Love is a personal word. It derives its
meaning from your heart. It is a mystery word. You can feel it, you
know when it's around, but you can't box it up and put it under the
tree. Christmas gives us opportunities to experience and work at things
that we put off during the rest of the year. It prepares us for making
meaningful New Year resolutions.
Giving, peace, love, community, sharing, compassion..
I guess I'm ambivalent about Christmas because I don't do near enough
in any of these areas. I don't think about them enough. Practice them
enough. I never feel that I ever quite get to the heart of the Christmas
story. I play it way too safe.
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