A Grinch's ponderings

Really? It's not even December and Christmas lights are showing up all over the place. One month isn't enough for the hype?

I admit, I sound like I taught the Grinch everything he ever knew about squishing the "holiday spirit". Every year, I wonder a little more about the emphasis that we put on bright lights, a glamorous tree, expensive gifts, ten turkey feasts, two hundred varieties of cookies and I lose track of the "special" events that flood the month of December. It's not just the fact that God never told us to have a birthday bash. There's more to it than that. So what's my problem, anyway? Well, I see some things that just don't make sense.

• We exhaust ourselves with expectations and set ourselves up for disappointment
• The adoration we offer our traditions and decorations almost borders on idolotry
• The Prince of Peace kind of seems to get lost in the month long adrenaline high

We exhaust ourselves with expectation - If it were any other time of year, we'd have our close friends and family pulling us aside and having a serious talk with us. "You know, it's just not worth the sacrifice you're making. You're giving up sleep, money and family time in order to maintain your schedule." After running at breakneck speed for several weeks, we wonder why people become teary eyed and/or irritable.

May I make a suggestion? How about we slow down, skip some of the parties and just sip some hot chocolate and watch the snow fall? If, at any point, we find ourselves thinking, "I'm not sure how I'm going to do all this," it might be our cue to simply not do it. We're not anti-social; we're wise.

We border on idolatry - What level of adoration do we give to ... oh, I don't know ... say, the Christmas tree? We sing songs to it, we adorn it, we feel that there's a certain "magic" that surrounds it. Then there's the nativity scene. If we see that chunk of glass or plastic as something that's somehow sacred, we've disobeyed the second commandment (graven images). Yup, we have both. If I sense that any of it gets more attention than Christ, don't be surprised if there's a bonfire out back.

I think I'd prefer that, if there's not a good reason for filling our home with more stuff to clean, we send it to the second hand store. It might even be a good idea to pick up a Bible and ask God to show us Himself in a fresh, new way.

The Prince of Peace gets lost - There's this thing called Sabbath Rest. It was instituted by our Creator immediately after He made us and is reiterated throughout scripture. Is the Christmas consternation we endure in keeping with His invitation, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest"?

I'm not suggesting that we ditch Christmas. (I won't argue with anyone who prefers to do that, though.) I am suggesting that we throw on the brakes and ask the Prince of Peace to guide us gently through this month.

I'll likely say, "Merry Christmas" a few times. I might be just as prone to say, "Shalom"... peace be upon you as you rest in Jesus.