As you may have guessed from the change in picture, this site will feature a broader range of rambling than heretofore. As the deer are trekking through the wilderness outside our house, so you may find this broader blogging approach wandering through some subverted places in my thoughts. Today is one of those slightly cynical times.
Whatever our beliefs, there are practical issues to life that we all encounter. One of them, of course, is Christmas, although depending on our beliefs we encounter it in different ways. Tom Watterson in this Calvin and Hobbes cartoon has found a way of drawing commercialism and Christmas together. Is this a middle ground?
Not sure if I have crossed the copyright line in reproducing this cartoon, but I am giving Watterson the credit—oops, am I beginning to sound like Calvin? In fact, the Christmas buying frenzy is a back handed compliment to Christ; It wouldn’t happen if not for Him! If He can inspire this credit card based happiness every year, then He can do anything He claims!
Of course, we may deny that our Christmas has any thing to do with religion, just as many of us think the beauty of our earth has nothing to do with God! In fact, to be sure we deChristolize Christmas, we should stop giving gifts, for they represent the gift of Himself to us. Let’s mark it with a frenzy of getting instead!
We have already placed the delete symbol over Christ in Xmas, so why not delete the contents of all those pretty boxes under the tree? It would signify the emptiness of life without an enduring faith in God. And I think “Winter Festival” is a much better name, the dark and cold of the season a reminder of the formless earth and meaningless existence without Him.
Happy Chri Adve Red and Green Season.