What Remains of Christmas?

What remains after Christmas has passed? The trappings of the season are already packed away by some tidy folk. Others like to let the decorations stay until after the new year has begun. Beyond the memories of Christmas day what will stay with each of us as the calendar changes? Will the peace and goodwill carry over? Will the spirit of generosity be with us going forward?

A few weeks back, I took a jab at marketing Christmas year-round, with a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that the buying season could be extended by designating the 25th day of every month as a day to exchange gifts and boost consumerism. Will the 12 days of Christmas become the 12 months of Christmas? I wondered. While I sincerely hope that scenario does not catch on, I would love to see the idea of sharing and taking care of one another continue on throughout the year. "The least of these," as Jesus called those who are in some way down, disadvantaged or discouraged, need support every day not just during the holidays.

One of my friends who read my "Christmas all year long" post said she had once suggested to her Sunday School class a day of giving on the 25th of each month. Not a time to set up a tree and buy presents for friends and family, but a day of service in the community. She said the plan never really caught on, but what a wonderful idea it is.

Many of the elderly with no family near would enjoy a visit at least once a month. People who are lonely need to feel connected to someone. Local food pantries too often have shelves which are nearly bare. Many young families are struggling to get by and would be grateful for diapers or help with the electric bill or gas money for getting back and forth to work. Some people live in houses which are in need of repair and they lack the funds to fix what’s wrong. 

Generosity should be a way of life. Giving should be as natural as breathing. Not just money, but other resources like time, effort, a joyful attitude and a heart willing to love others, not condemn and judge them. Many people do live day-to-day with an attitude of generosity and they act on their better impulses. Many others would like to be able to give more, but time and money can be in short supply when our lives are often busy with our own families and obligations. 

So, why not start a new tradition of marking the 25th day of each month as a day to do something extra-nice for someone, to volunteer somewhere or otherwise make a real effort to have a positive impact on the community? Doesn’t it seem like the kind of idea which is in line with the message Jesus came to proclaim? Carrying with us the spirit of Christmas all year long, wherever we go, whatever we do, is a gift which truly keeps on giving.

Wading in with the Ducks

If I have a goal with my blogging efforts it is to challenge all of us, most certainly myself, to be and do better, especially in the context of the message of Jesus. My posts are aimed at those of us who strive to follow his teachings, but I welcome all to comment, question and help me with own struggles to understand how Christianity is what it is in the 21st century in this country, in particular.

To that end, I'm putting on my waders to venture into the lake where the Ducks abide. I'll skip over the downright gross comments Phil Robertson made in his now famous GQ interview. Let's get right to a part which has not been so widely quoted. From the article titled "What the Duck" on gq.com (in the entertainment section which should give us a clue about what's going on, by the way):

Drew Magary writes, referring to Robertson, "Then he paraphrases Corinthians: 'Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.'"

First, and this is one thing I can't understand, in general, in certain Christian circles, why pick one thing from the list to completely vilify while ignoring the others? If you're going to boil your spiritual beliefs down to bare, basic rules and requirements, rather than incorporating grace, forgiveness and love, don't you have to go all the way with that line of thinking?

Can we talk about idolatry for a moment? The obsession over the Robertson family causes me to pause. Wanting to look like them, dress in the clothing they market, use every product they offer and be just like them is rampant. The crowds that seek them out are enormous. This is not an indictment of anyone's actions, enjoy their show if you want, but when I see giant, freestanding displays of Duck Dynasty merchandise towering up to the sky in retail stores, I wonder if camoflage is the new gold. It is for the Robertson's, for sure, but think in terms of a golden calf and you might get my meaning. 

For teetotalist fans of DD, did you know they have their own wine label? I certainly have no problem with that because drinking alcohol in moderation is not tantamount to drunkenness, but I would think that could be a problem for some who believe any consumption of alcohol is a sin.

Next, let's discuss greed. I know this is a dicey area because we're all supposed to be on board with capitalism working at its finest. Let's be clear: I do not begrudge the Robertsons their financial success. Good for them for becoming multi-millionaires. 

And they are likely charitable folk, although I did find the following on their website. In response to the "frequently asked question" of "Will you donate to our event?" The answer is, "While we sponsor and contribute to several organizations in our home town and several national charities, we are unable to respond to any requests from individuals or other organizations that we have not already chose." Most successful major corporations have methods to donate at least SOMETHING to charitable organizations for fundraising purposes, even if only autographed photos of a smiling (or not) Phil. I know this from experience in working in the nonprofit sector and organizing fundraising events.

And here's a tidbit. One local man told me last summer that he was paying Willie Robertson $40,000 to stop by his event for a couple of hours. Willie was double-booked that day, so he couldn't stay long. The man said he was fortunate to get Willie for that amount as the arrangements had been made before his fee had gone up. The man had checked into getting Phil and Miss Kay, but they were fetching $100,000 for their speaking engagements and he could not afford that. It is not for me to define greed, but it is difficult for me to reconcile those numbers with what someone might be "getting for their money" by paying the Robertsons that much.

Finally, to Robertson's main cause of outrage: homosexuality. You can trust me on this, there is WAY more fornicating amongst heterosexuals (that's on the list in Corinthians, too, although unmentioned by Robertson) and adulterous sex happening in this country than there is same-sex sexual activity.

Play the percentages. It is estimated that 4 to 5 percent of the population is homosexual. At least some of them are celibate. (No matter your opinion on that issue, the numbers are small when talking about active homosexuality.) So, that leaves a 95 percent heterosexual population. Given the number of unmarried, sexually active individuals and the divorce rate of around 50 percent, often caused by someone fooling around on the side, well, do the math. Of the millions of viewers of Duck Dynasty who are backing Robertson's claim that homosexual sin is "not logical," you can bet there many of them who are not keeping their private-part activity confined to a monogamous marriage situation and yet, are somehow finding logic in their own actions. 

And of course, for me, there is the ongoing issue of how the overall message of Jesus gets lost in the muck. He commanded us to love God and love our neighbors. Sorry, I'm just really not getting it in this case. Maybe some of Robertson's defenders can help me understand how his words are helping to promote peace on earth and goodwill toward all. Because as we are just days away from celebrating the birth of Christ I would hope that might be uppermost in our thoughts and actions.

There are certainly more vulnerable members of our community who are in greater need of being defended than someone who has the means, and the platform, to quite adequately defend himself. Phil is going to be OK, don't you think? I'm saving my outrage for other issues.

The Speck and Plank at Christmas

Religion, as a system, an institution, separated from the better impulses which emanate from our souls, our spirits, will always be lacking. Without compassion applied to the message of Jesus, scripture appears to many to be merely about rules, judgment and justice. Jesus warned often this is not the Way he proclaimed. Feeling the need to constantly point out the faults of others without working on our own shortcomings is a sign of religiosity, not an understanding of Christ's love. Perhaps you've heard the scripture that asks, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" 

Blinded by a plank, especially on many issues of my attitude and interaction with others, that certainly describes me, I readily admit. Specks and planks abound throughout the year in many areas, but a forest seems to have fallen into the eyes of many Christians during the Christmas season in recent years. I posted a link on Dec. 14 on my Facebook page which discusses the invented war on Christmas. It is by Evan Dolive and appeared on sojo.net. Some brief highlights from the article include:

"The real 'war on Christmas' is not when a cashier says 'Happy Holidays'...It is not the cashier’s job to share the church’s story of God coming to the world....The real 'war on Christmas' is when Americans spend $450 billion on Christmas; however, it would take only $20 billion to ensure that all people in the world could have access to clean water for a year..." 

I suggest reading the entire piece. Taken to heart, it would lead many of us to remove several planks from our eyes. Here's the link. http://sojo.net/blogs/2013/12/10/theres-war-christmas-just-not-one-you-think/

A comment my friend Ken Brown made on my Facebook post mentioned above really struck a chord with me. He said, "In my neighborhood, a few signs are up with 'Jesus IS the reason.' I've been trying to think if there ever was a time when 'Jesus WAS the reason.' I've been thinking about my early Christmases -- e.g., 1950s. Sure, there were some nativity scenes, but it was a holiday that did nothing for my spiritual well-being. The first school day after Christmas, it was the same old story -- the more affluent kids seemed to have 'most favored kid' status with Santa. Really, Easter was the religious holiday that resonated with me, and the Christians have let that one be corrupted too."

Honestly, it's only in recent times, as we've been told that there's a war on a holiday which somehow now manages to take up more two months out of the year, that we've been worried about the extent that Christ is in Christmas. 'Happy Holidays' was a perfectly fine greeting when I was a kid. Santa Claus was readily accepted as the driving force of the season, just as he is now, but no one complained. Our church Christmas programs had the obligatory (and always touching, I'll add, I'm not trying to be impudent) reading of the nativity story and everyone went home with a warm and joyful attitude. No one felt compelled to look for the devil in every corner of the tinsel-draped stores or start a ruckus about 'holiday trees,' which is a stupid idea, but harmless in the grand scheme of things. (No one shopped on Thanksgiving, either, but that's another story.)

A huge part of the 'speck and plank problem' is that many people are getting their religious guidance from 'news outlets' rather than straight from the source. If you want to believe what any talking head on television -- on almost ANY televised media outlet -- says is true about what's happening in the world, that's your business. But stop taking the information as the Gospel. It's not. Try Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They'll give you the real scoop on the message of Jesus.

 

Too Many Mugs, Not Enough Friends

A couple of months ago I commented about how there are too many coffee mugs in the world. I wrote, "I think we should halt all manufacturing of coffee mugs and merely recycle the ones that are out there. Go to your local thrift store and pay a quarter each for mugs and give them as Christmas gifts to all of your friends and family. Include an assortment of teabags, homemade hot chocolate mix or favorite coffee."

I didn't flesh out the idea too much at the time because it was part of a post about not sharing "made up facts" on Facebook. (Did I just create a euphemism for lying?) Anyway, my proposal to recycle mugs caught the attention of Rita Lancaster. 

Rita and I, who had been acquaintances for several years, became social network and real-life friends shortly before my mug post when her husband, Dennis Lancaster, issued a "kissing your inner frog" Facebook challenge. Through the process, many of us bared our souls to friends, acquaintances and strangers. I had admitted, among other things, to having a reluctance to form friendships.

When Rita read my post, she seized the opportunity to give me a secondhand mug. It had special meaning to her and came right out of her cabinet. She filled it with an assortment of tea and coffee and wrote a thoughtful, personal and touching note to go with it. When I read the note to my husband, Allen, he said, "That should be the start of a movement."

Rita and I don't know if we'll start a movement, but we decided to start a Facebook page, "Too Many Mugs, Not Enough Friends," which we launched a couple of days ago. Through the page we want to encourage people to pass along secondhand coffee mugs, filled with something useful/practical/fun along with a heartfelt note. Maybe the mug would be special. Maybe the contents have extra meaning. Maybe it's just the thought the counts. It could be the new way donations are given by businesses and organizations to worthy causes....a check in a mug. What starts as a little ripple could turn into a big wave.

The recipient could already be a friend and the note would be personal with why that friend is appreciated. The recipient might be an acquaintance and the giver could congratulate him/her on an achievement or encourage in some way. The recipient might be a stranger, maybe someone in need. There are nearly endless possibilities when you consider it. We're hoping to inspire affordable, thoughtful gift-giving for Christmas and the forming of friendships throughout the year.

We don't want a lot of rules to interfere with the fun, but there is one ABSOLUTE rule. No new mugs, only USED mugs. Most of us have extra ones adding clutter, but if you don't, there are usually scores of them for cheap at thrift stores, flea markets and yard sales. Of course, mug givers don't have to join the Facebook page to use the ideas, but we do hope you'll like the page and invite your friends to like it, too. There are already creative ideas posted there.

 

One way or the other, be sure to let the recipient know you're giving them a recycled mug because of the overabundance of mugs and encourage them to do the same.

 

We would love it if you would mention your gifts – either what you give or what you get – on the page. Post your "mug shots," just the mugs or even better photos of those who are giving/receiving the mugs. Share your mug and friendship adventures to inspire others. Have fun. Recycle mugs. Make new friends because that's the ultimate goal of our project. Friendships have the power to change the world.

Decorations for My Grandson

I put up and decorated the Christmas tree yesterday. Lower ornaments in place have no wire hangers and are not breakable. Rather than try to keep my 18-month-old grandson from taking ornaments off the tree, I've decided to let him have at it. Free rein. Bat those ornaments around. Take them off and play with them. Christmas is meant to be enjoyable and there is so much I find unenjoyable about the hype of the season that I don't want to add one more negative thing by constantly yelling, "No! Don't touch!" We might as well scream, "Christmas!" and spray him with water.

The ornaments are shiny and beautiful and children are drawn to them. So, have fun, Vale. Merry Christmas.