The War On Christmas - Part Four

What would Christmas look like if we took the teachings of Christ seriously and celebrated the birth of a Savior that freed us from the bondages of our society? I suppose that depends largely on what we view the bondages of our society as. For this season, as I' m sure you can tell if you've read the previous entries, I see them manifest as materialism and consumerism.

We can only begin to imagine what Christmas (or the world, for that matter) would look like without these subtle carriers of greed, selfishness, and poverty. Families could grow closer together by rejoicing in the time spent with one another, reliving old memories and creating new ones, instead of focusing on who gets what from whom. Men and women of all ages could find more fulfillment from serving the poor and truly loving them than they ever could from opening a gift hiding the newest brand-name toy. When we celebrate this life of love, service, and sacrifice, we can truly discover why His birth was so important to the world and one worthy of praise and thanksgiving.

Think about the most cherished memories you have from previous Christmas seasons. I would be willing to bet that they involve good times spent with family and friends or helping others find the type of love and value that we all search for in our lives. Presents are great, but there will always be something bigger, something deeper and something far more worthwhile in the holiday season. Don't be mistaken; there are real, legitimate threats to the true face of the Christmas season that seek to dampen and dismiss this great story of love and redemption that is at its heart. Let us reclaim Christmas for what it was and what it is and what it means.

The War On Christmas - Part Three

The appropriate verbiage with which to wish someone cheer and happiness during the month of December has become quite the heated debate over the last several years. Signage in my home town has shifted from a poorly lit display of "Merry Christmas" to a poorly lit display of "Season's Greetings." Companies seeking to earn your holiday bonus have been faced with heavy pressure to abandon the focus of this time of year on Christmas, striving instead to tailor to a seemingly endless number of seasonal traditions. These events have led some, mostly conservative Chrisitians, to decry these efforts as political correctness taken too far.

My feelings towards the issue have changed dramatically over the last several years. I use to be passionately involved in the defense of Christmas, refusing to wish a "Happy Holidays" to anyone, due more to arrogance than an actual concern for Christ' birth. Now, I ask the question, who cares if your favorite department store wishes you a “Happy Holidays” as opposed to a “Merry Christmas?” A department store that takes a story of servitude and self-sacrifice and transforms it into a season filled with materialism and greed has no business using the name of Christ to begin with.

I'm lead to believe now that the biggest threats against Christmas these days are not the secular left or political correctness. We as Christians should not waste our time fighting against secular society. Instead, we should concentrate our efforts on bringing the love of Christ and the kingdom of God to the world, and worrying about a salesperson at Macy's wishing you a "Merry Christmas" isn't going to produce that. In my opinion, the biggest threats against Christmas are consumerism, materialism, and greed, and they have been corrupting the essence of Christ for many years.

The War On Christmas - Part Two

Jesus Christ, the Man whose birth we celebrate every December, first entered the world with very little fanfare, surrounded not by extravagance and riches but rather by barn animals and poverty (the gifts of the Wise Men notwithstanding). He continued to live this life of poverty and humility for the next 30 years, never missing the chance to warn His followers of greed and selfishness, teaching that, “wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” He held disdain for those that put themselves before others and commanded His followers to love and serve the poor, widowed, and marginalized in society. Is this the type of life we associate with every holiday season?

I recently read an article that detailed the beginnings of the man we now know as Santa Claus. Long before Rudolph came and saved the day, Saint Nicholas was a Christian bishop living in the 4th century in a place called Myra, a location somewhere in modern-day Turkey. Several legends surround his life, but I believe the one that stands out the most is of his generosity to three daughters living in a poor household. Because they were poor, the three girls had no money to bring into a marriage, which I assume in their culture was needed and necessary. As a result, no young men came calling when they neared the age to wed.

On the night before the oldest sister "came of age," Saint Nick, who is said to have inherited quite a sum of wealth from his parents, tossed a bag of gold through the window of their house. He did so to spare the girls the embarrassment of single life, which in those days typically led to a life of prostitution. St. Nicholas did the same thing the night before the middle daughter "came of age," and saved her from poverty as well.

The father was determined to find out who was responsible for this unmerited generosity. The night before his youngest daughter was ready to marry, he stayed up by the window. Nicholas, ever the more cunning, learned of the father's plan and instead dropped the bag of gold down the chimney, keeping his identity safe and creating a tale that is, in some form or fashion, still alive to this day.

The question is, what the heck has changed during the last 1700 years? Certain aspects of this early Christmas story still remain, but something has gone awry. The giving of gifts is certainly no longer anonymous in most cases, and I'd venture a guess that most gifts are given with the presumptuous knowledge that something is coming your way as well (perhaps I underestimate the world; perhaps it is just myself that holds such a selfish belief). I like to give gifts to those that I love, but something would certainly feel out of place if those that I loved gave me nothing in return. And what about those that I do not love?

Where did this disconnect between Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus come from? How did it grow to consume our understanding of gift giving in Western civilization? How can one slow down and try to revert back to the beginnings of the story?

The War On Christmas - Part One

I find it very amusing (if not downright aggravating) to observe the arguments and debates regarding the so-called “War on Christmas.” Both sides of the issue, from liberal secularists to conservative Christians, can be quite passionate in their respective beliefs. Those on the left scream for a protection of the sacred American principle of separation of church and state, while those on the right cry about the persecution they must endure and that since “Jesus is the reason for the season,” why would we dare gloss over His importance to the holiday for the sake of tolerance and political correctness?

When you approach the issue from a different perspective, however, I think you see something completely different. When you look at what Christmas has become in our society and compare it to what it was originally meant to embody, you will find that more than anything else we have taken Christ out of the very holiday that bears His name. We have replaced His message of redemption and reconciliation with one of consumption and shallow fulfillment.

Before I continue, I think it's important to give the oft-used disclaimer. It's very easy for me to write these thoughts from the comfort of my roommate's nice leather couch while enjoying the Sunday night football game in high definition on my new plasma television. By decrying the actions of our society so harshly, I remind myself that I'm not above the masses when it comes to consumerism, that I have more to offer the problem than I do the solution. I only seek with these words to understand the disease that sometimes inhibits our minds and actions and work from there to remedy it.

I'm going to continue to blog my thoughts on this subject in the coming days and weeks. Feel free to join in the conversation.

5 Losses + Bowling in Boise = Another Mediocre Season

Well, Georgia Tech is going to the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho later this year, which is the school's 11th straight bowl game. That streak might seem impressive, but when you consider the bowls they've visited, the taste begins to sour just a bit.

In those 11 years, 7 of them have been of the Humanitarian, Emerald, Champs Sports, Silicon Valley Classic, Seattle, or Carquest varieties. Not exactly the most illustrious of bowl games pouring with history and tradition.

I honestly don't know why I'm consistently surprised year after year of my alma mater's mediocrity. The previous coaching staff had a penchant for two things during its tenure: Losing at least 5 games every year, one of those always being to the University of Georgia. Yet every year I invest all my hopes and dreams into this football program, only to be feel the sting of defeat and disappoint every time. Some would call my behavior the very definition of insanity, but I refuse to lose all hope.

Here's hoping the yet-to-be-named coach can take this program to the next level. If not, at least I'll know the world is as it should be.

Picture of the Day

Touchdown Jesus is weeping....
September 2007

Alright, I'm Trying to Come Back

So a buddy of mine recently called me out for not keeping my blog updated in over a year. So, in an effort to redeem myself from his words of wrath, I'm attempting a comeback with the whole blogging thing.

To catch everyone up: I graduated from Georgia Tech last May, took the summer off by interning with Buckhead Church, and started with a construction management firm called Bovis Lend Lease in August. I also got engaged with my longtime lady back in May.

More to come later (hopefully).