Space For God

Christmas time is upon us and I am yet again amazed at the way in which the 'silly season', as it is allegedly called, causes such an onset of stress and fear in so many people. A prime example of this is fear of the money (or lack thereof) that pre-occupies everyone at Christmas time- will there be enough to buy the quantity and quality of presents that everyone is expecting? This is often really about performance. The familiar cry of 'Oh my gosh, I forgot to buy so and so a present!' fills the shopping malls. 

As a personal and social experiment, this year I have decided to opt out of this form of 'cultural' Christmas. It may sound pretentious and harsh, but I want to separate the baggage from the substance. It's an experiment in seeing how I will cope with a Christmas experience that reflects on the birth of Jesus as opposed to the mindless materialism and over-indulgence that December has come to represent. This will also be an experiment in observing how, and on what terms, my family will relate to me given that I am seeking a far more simple Christmas experience this time around. 

What sort of Christmas will I have this year? It's hard to say. I am not even sure that my experiment will by possible. Perhaps consumer culture and Christmas are too bound up with one another to clearly separate? I'll have to get back to you. Maybe you have some thoughts.....?