Saturday, December 02, 2006
Christmas and Xmas
I have borrowed my title today from my son's namesake, CS "Jack" Lewis. In this essay, he humorously compares and contrasts the two holidays that happen to occur on December 25. I have come to the point in my life (as an employee in a retail establishment) where I see his point more and more clearly. I experience two holidays every December: one which I celebrate, the other I merely endure.
The one I endure is the one I experience most clearly at work. Commerce. Seeing this time of year as our time to make the most money we can. After all, between gift giving and celebratory dinners, the retail environment in which I work has many great choices to offer. There is nothing wrong with random merrymaking and gift giving, but it leaves those of us who work in the retail industry left behind as far as much of the celebrations go.
I have decided to work in this environment...no one has forced it upon me. So I try to make the best of it...though hearing some of the holiday music does leave me shaking my head at the vanity of so much of it. I have rarely seen a better exposition of the cultural holiday of Christmas than in today's column by Garrison Keillor. Check it out:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0611290026nov29,0,3216806.column?coll=chi-ed_opinion_columnists-utl
But now to the good news. With this season, the annual remembrance of Christ's appearance redeems the time. It is indeed worth celebrating, and I hope to reflect on that reality over the next few weeks.
Over the past few years, I have become familiar with an English carol which has come to be my favorite Christmas carol. I had never heard "Once in Royal David's City" until I attended an Anglican church. Now, the carol rings in my head through practically all of December. The stillness of it, coupled with the amazing reality of the incarnation, make its reflections special to me. I particularly love the 2nd and 5th verses:
He came down to earth from heaven,
who is God and Lord of all,
and his shelter was a stable,
and his cradle was a stall;
with the poor, the scorned, the lowly,
lived on earth our Savior holy.
And our eyes at last shall see him,
through his own redeeming love;
for that Child who seemed so helpless
is our Lord in heaven above;
and he leads his children on
to the place where he is gone.
Christ redeems everything. My attitude is affected to such a point, that I can find reasons to celebrate at work. He does indeed lead me on, and I look forward to seeing his face, because of his entrance into time, and his own redeeming love.
The one I endure is the one I experience most clearly at work. Commerce. Seeing this time of year as our time to make the most money we can. After all, between gift giving and celebratory dinners, the retail environment in which I work has many great choices to offer. There is nothing wrong with random merrymaking and gift giving, but it leaves those of us who work in the retail industry left behind as far as much of the celebrations go.
I have decided to work in this environment...no one has forced it upon me. So I try to make the best of it...though hearing some of the holiday music does leave me shaking my head at the vanity of so much of it. I have rarely seen a better exposition of the cultural holiday of Christmas than in today's column by Garrison Keillor. Check it out:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0611290026nov29,0,3216806.column?coll=chi-ed_opinion_columnists-utl
But now to the good news. With this season, the annual remembrance of Christ's appearance redeems the time. It is indeed worth celebrating, and I hope to reflect on that reality over the next few weeks.
Over the past few years, I have become familiar with an English carol which has come to be my favorite Christmas carol. I had never heard "Once in Royal David's City" until I attended an Anglican church. Now, the carol rings in my head through practically all of December. The stillness of it, coupled with the amazing reality of the incarnation, make its reflections special to me. I particularly love the 2nd and 5th verses:
He came down to earth from heaven,
who is God and Lord of all,
and his shelter was a stable,
and his cradle was a stall;
with the poor, the scorned, the lowly,
lived on earth our Savior holy.
And our eyes at last shall see him,
through his own redeeming love;
for that Child who seemed so helpless
is our Lord in heaven above;
and he leads his children on
to the place where he is gone.
Christ redeems everything. My attitude is affected to such a point, that I can find reasons to celebrate at work. He does indeed lead me on, and I look forward to seeing his face, because of his entrance into time, and his own redeeming love.
# posted by Unknown @ 6:20 PM 
