My wife and I were talking today about the rapid collapse of Christianity in America, and how the secularization and commercialization of Christmas (which is not new, unfortunately) is a model for what is coming. This song by Becky Kelley rather captures the problem, unfortunately:
I'm not interested in seeing kids lining up to sit on Santa's lap to tell them what they want as part of the the materialism orgy. I'm interested in seeing kids learning what Christmas is all about at a soup kitchen, or a homeless shelter.
I'm not sure the "Soup Kitchen" contains the meaning of Christmas either. The suggestion seems to be growing in popularity, but it strikes the same off-note to me that I get From Obama turning 9/11 into "a day of service".
ReplyDeleteFeed the hungry; uplift the dispirited; care for widows and orphans; visit prisoners. Isn't that what Jesus called us to do?
ReplyDeleteIn the sacramental church, Christmas is a principle feast, one of six, when we celebrate the Incarnation, the when Word was made flesh, God with us. We are called to serve others on every day, that is the "ordinary" role of the church, but a it is our response to God's gift to us of His Son.
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