The Western Christmas
I’m sitting at my local pub enjoying an excellent English pale ale, listening to various festive music selections in the background, and each song competing with the low hum of happy conversations all around; my difficulties be damned-its Christmas. But then I look up and see the beautiful shining wreath (picture left/above), and my mind turns to a more profound thought: What of Christmas?
I think of the clerical and lay abuses within the various churches. I think of the distortion of the Christian messages throughout history to power and greed, the impossible standards of virtue, the ubiquitous nature of sin, the tribalism, the blatant commercialism, and the avarice of the haves over the have-nots. The list of open wounds goes on, like an attempted murder of the sacred by a thousand cuts.
We’ve seen the cynical Christmas sentiment before: “What does any of this spending have to do with Christmas? It is nothing but a stressful waste of time. Commercialized and more trouble than it is worth.” But is nothing we see in the western world during December relevant to the original Christmas message? For some, the more fair question is, what was the original message of the Christmas story?
In short, the Christmas story starts with a young virgin (Mary) who conceives a child with God. In doing so, she overcomes the indignity of biological reality. She opens the way for one instance of human moral perfection while offering an avenue for salvation through a God-child. Mary’s betrothed, a man named Joseph, stands with his soon-to-be wife despite learning the child is not his. The two travel from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea and then onto Bethlehem, Joseph’s ancestral land. Prophecy is fulfilled. The child is born a lamb for future sacrifice as payment of all human sin, and destiny spares humankind.
The messages are as clear as can be made: overcoming the profane indignities of human existence, family striving for one moment of perfection, the intermingling of humanity with the divine, returning to the homeland, the illumination and hope that precedes sacrifice, forgiveness and redemption.
So what of our current predicament? Is Christmas present deserving of the cynicism it receives in the shadow of such a story? To be sure, there is much room for improvement; and reducing the stress, commercialism, and misguided giving would go a long way to harmonize the traditional story with the present. However, there is also good in the western Christmas for those willing to look.
First, we must understand Christmas in the context of our western lives. We in the West move fast. Our food, entertainment, work, and even relaxation move with a fast underlying pace, beating like a metronome swaying to different songs. The speed of our civilization has improved the lives of millions through innovation, creativity, and endless efficiency. However, this progress has come at a cost to our most holy day, but with this understanding, we can also appreciate western Christmases more charitably.
Second, I think of mothers, fathers, family and friends using much-needed relaxation time to instead make memories for others: The perfect meal, a magical gift or a well-organized time together. I also appreciate the millions of hours across the West dedicated to volunteering, giving food or gifts to the poor; yes, we still do this. We also put aside our time to visit those in need in our lives. And for the millions who feel so inclined, an hour is even sacrificed to celebrate the sacred — Christmas mass.
Of course, the sentiments are often sloppy, rushed, and laboured. But we do them anyway. We do Christmas because we aren’t ready to let go of the promise it represents. We realize the day offers something sacred no matter how much we neglect it or tarnish it. What’s more, we recognize that what it provides cannot be created, fabricated or meditated into existence. Instead, it comes from tradition, the oldest stories, told and retold to connect us.
We are connected in the desire that imperfect attempts at kindness may allow for perfect moments. We pray to experience the divine through shared time with those we love. And like Mary and Joseph, we too will travel home, to the places or people we were born. And if we are lucky, we may also find hope, forgiveness and redemption through the little sacrifices we make. Despite all the complexity of our fast-moving lives, we continue to choose to engage with this ancient story-no matter how imperfectly. In this way, we may be proud of our western Christmas.
In the end, Christmas in the West is a time of year that we wish to slow down, enjoy and reflect on our lives; some of us are even lucky enough to do so (as I sip my last beer). However, we also clumsily try and bring forth kindness-gifts, food, drink, and time. We try. May we always try.
So I raise my glass; with my brew almost gone,
My love, she is smiling, our Christmas has begun.
Cheers to all, and may you, for your part, have a most sacred Christmas.
Copywrite December 23, 2021, The Autumn Tree Publication, https://autumntree.medium.com/the-western-christmas-dfd4f9ccf5d6
