People have observed (myself included) that the Christmas season has become less festive due to the economic crisis the country is in right now (despite economic indicators that present the contrary). Though malls and homes are nicely decorated, and you hear Christmas carols at night on your way home from work or school, you have also noticed the hushed atmosphere. Somehow, you resign yourself to the conclusion that it isn't quite like before.
Last Friday, my friend, Jan, gave me my first Christmas present for the year. He gave me one of Philip Yancey's book, The Jesus I Never Knew, which only the day before, I almost bought when I passed by Fullybooked, Gateway after a job interview somewhere in Cubao. I was so excited to read it of course, but wasn't able to on the night I received it because I attended Soulstop with him and my cousin, Miel. We went home late and I slept over my cousin's place, so I was able to start reading on Saturday evening after a day spent with Lani and Marley.
Interestingly, the first chapter of the book is quite fitting for the Christmas season. It began with the birth of Jesus Christ and Yancey presents an insight about the first Christmas that is far divorced from the festive and joyous atmosphere that as he pointed out, have been lost and glossed over by Hallmark cards and other practices that we have all been used to.
He writes:
In contrast to what the cards would have us believe, Christmas did not sentimentally simplify life on planet earth. Perhaps this is what I sense when Christmas rolls areound and I turn from the cheeriness of the cards to the starkness of the Gospels.
Futhermore, he observes:
We observe a mellow, domesticated holiday purged of any hint of scandal. Above all, we purge from it any reminder of how the story that began at Bethlehem turned out at Calvary.
The facts of Christmas, rhymed in carols, recited by children in church plays, illustrated on cards, have become so familiar that it is easy to miss the mesage behind the facts.
What he presents is just so different that I anticipate negative reactions from other people if I try to share them. Maybe it is because it will radically call into question our own beliefs and practices and more importantly our faith in the child Saviour whose birth we are celebrating. It did to mine.
I do not know how to connect Yancey's point with my own reflection, but as I was reading, I remembered the many Christmases spent with family in the past. The preparations that were indeed lavish for a family of only 4 members then. Boxes of groceries, several kilos of meat, fruits, vegetables etc. A nicely decorated home, a beautiful 8-foot Christmas tree, carols and a Christmas eve of yelling and fighting. How ironic it is to have those grand preparations but then spend the evening crying and not celebrating. I never understood what was there to celebrate during Christmas, when instead of having Noche Buena, I was in my room crying the night away, fearful that I might end up having a broken family the next day.
The past Christmases were literally scandalous for me, with the neighbors able to hear all the screaming and fighting. And perhaps I am able to understand the 'scandal of Christmas' which Yancey, explains because like Mary, the unwed mother who by Jewish law could have very well been stoned to death, I had the same fear she initially felt. But unlike her, I did not have faith so great to celebrate at the time my family was close to falling apart.
I have always shoved such memories in that dark corner of my heart and presented other people with the same rejoicing I saw in their faces. It certainly broke my heart to remember how sorrowful the past Christmases have been.
But this year, with my heart healed and ever-hopeful, I am sure to celebrate Christmas not only with a genuinely joyful and loving family that has come a long way, but with a renewed awareness that in those heartbreaking moments, I was not alone, that even then, Jesus was already watching over me. That the birth of Jesus - his incarnation - is more than enough reason to rejoice even in suffering, because by being human, he has indeed given me (and the whole world) everything I/it can and will ever hope for.
So to the one who has conquered my heart, Happy birthday and I love you :-)
4 comments:
I completely empathize with you, zy. Again, we're on the same boat (are you sure we're really not blood sisters?:p)
But going to your first point, yes, Christmas has become a tool of the capitalist world. It's all about consumerism and the Hallmark world - much the same with the other holidays we are supposedly "celebrating." We lose track of the true meaning of Christmas amidst all the tinsel of the wrapping paper going all over the place. People forget the first syllable of the word, and His name's meaning. No wonder they replace it with X-Mas, crossing Him out of the picture (and no, I will not subscribe to the panda bear's contention of the use of Greek. The imagery is quite good by itself.:p)
Mwahaha! And you just had to argue against the not-quite-defenseless panda bear!
I like what you said that Christmas has become a tool of capitalism. You are so Marxist! haha :D (and for the umpteenth time, yes we grew up together adoring Uncle Karl haha!)
The chapter on Jesus birth was truly insightful and convicting. It made me realise that the Incarnation itself is a very real sacrifice for God. I pray that people go beyond the mere "celebrating" part of Christmas.
Haha! Of course I won't deny being a Marxist! As if you're not!:p
I recently read this email going around about Jesus mourning the fact that people celebrate His birthday without actually celebrating it in the real sense. Now, it's about self-gratification through and through.
Yep, and being so can actually create a very very unfavorable impression on you especially when you're applying for a job, with it's office housed in some oil company's building.
How nice...They begin to think you're very narrow-minded, discrediting everything else and only wanting to scream, "ibagsak ang mga korporasyon". DUH!
And what's with the talk about justice and compassion totally unrelated to the point I was trying to raise. Ugh!
syempre nagrant ako here wahaha! :D
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