Quick Post-Christmas Thought

Isn’t it interesting that people are usually more excited Christmas eve than they are boxing day?

Consumermas

I wanted to write something about Christmas for a while, well, since Christmas really, but I didn’t know what to write. I still don’t really know, but I want to write something, so here goes…

I don’t like Christmas. Sorry, but I had to be said. The grumpy old man in me again. Well, I do like Christmas, but I don’t, but then I do, but really I don’t. And hence you can see why I don’t know what to write.

I like Christmas. I like opening presents and sometimes I like to give them. Especially when I’ve taken time in choosing them and wrapping them. I like the looks on people’s faces when they open them. I like decorations (sometimes, let’s not go mad). I like receiving cards, especially the ones from people you don’t expect or haven’t heard from in ages. I like trees, and being warm even though its cold, and candles and ‘theologically sound’ (so my sister once described) midnight mass, and cribs and nativity stories. I particularly like spending time with family, playing those games you only play at Christmas, and of course I like the food. Roast parsnips, Yorkshire puddings and stuffing and turkey and Christmas pudding and custard and everything else.

But then I don’t like Christmas. I don’t like the thought that I celebrate good news with mindless and unnecessary consumerism. I don’t like the fact that I give and receive presents (although they are lovely and very generous) while others, the ones who really need it, don’t receive anything. I don’t like that I eat gratuitous amounts of food, while others go hungry. Something inside me doesn’t sit right when I say theologically sound prayers for the sick, poor, hungry, homeless and lonely at midnight and then go home curl up in my warm heated home and drift to sleep awaiting my hoard in the morning.

In fairness Christmas is a mass concentration, a bottleneck, of how I live my life daily – Constantly in a mix, torn between living Christism or Consumerism

‘At least there is much more truth and wisdom in the Christian Christmas than there currently is in the version now ruled by the God of Mammon. After all, look in any bible and I defy you to find Jesus Christ exhorting his disciples to go forth and shop!’
Max, UK – atheist (taken from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/3244944.stm)

Amazing Grace

In my previous post about pro-active passive radical living I missed the fine example of William Wilberforce. Today I had the pleasure of going to see the recently released film ‘amazing grace’ which is the powerful true story of Wilberforce and his fight for the abolition of slavery.

The film draws links between Wilberforce’s faith and how this impacted his political career. The film comments on how Christianity isn’t just to be meditated on but acted upon, how we are to be in the world but not of the world, how we are called to ‘make the world a better place’. It tells of how Wilberforce saw that something in his world didn’t match with the justice of his God and so he put his life, mind, body and soul into fighting, passively, to change this.

I didn’t think the film would be any good but it was, it really was and I urge you to go and see it.

I urge you to consider that despite the abolition of slavery 200 years ago our world is still full of slavery and other major problems, such as unfair trade (in 20 years time could we conceive of legislation to ban the import of unfair trade into our country?) and human trafficking – see www.stopthetraffik.org

I urge you to consider the role of Wilberforce and think how to translate such a passion into your own life. What would the world look like if more people were passionate about fighting injustice? What would the world look like if I was more passionate about fighting injustice?

I watched the film with today’s ‘problems’ in mind, it was upsetting but inspiring.

I wish I could make a difference but I don’t know how.

I wish I could change, but will society let me?

I want the film to change me, but will I let it?