CHRISTMAS CHEER
Every year around this time, I have a familiar experience. I'm out shopping, and I'll go through the checkout line, and pay for my stuff. When the cashier hands me back the change, they'll say "Happy holidays," or perhaps even "Merry Christmas."
I realize that this comment is not always motivated by the cashier's genuine interest in whether or not I enjoy my holiday. I'm aware that they may be saying this because they've been told to. I can envision the memo from K mart corporate headquarters directing cashiers when to switch from "Have a nice day" to "Happy Holidays," on the assumption that this will somehow help cement a lasting bond between the store and the customer that won't evaporate when a Wal-Mart opens across the street.
I'm aware of all that, and suspicious of the whole business. But at least once every year, I have a cashier who looks me in the eye and says "Merry Christmas," and really means it. And it changes my whole day.
There really is something genuine to this whole idea of Christmas cheer. As Dec. 25th draws near, people warm up just a bit. If you're out and around on Christmas Eve, you'll notice that people are friendlier than on any other day of the year.
Folks warm up when they are mindful of the Christ child's birth, and make an extra effort to practice the virtues the angels sing of - "peace on earth, goodwill towards men."
But consider this - why do we notice this at Christmas? Why does this surge in warmheartedness stand out? I think it's because, despite our best intentions, good will towards men can easily become a seasonal event rather than a standing policy.
When Christ entered our world, he didn't come to brighten our Decembers, but to transform our lives. It can be hard work to practice good will towards one another. But John the Baptist's message was that as we prepare for Christ to come into our lives, we can change our ways.
The Gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry provide the blueprint for loving our neighbor in a busy and complicated neighborhood. Christ made a point of seeking out the broken and disenfranchised people of his day - the lepers, prostitutes and tax collectors - and he saw the value in each one of them. And in so doing, He helped them recognize the value in themselves.
This Christmas season, let us recognize that just as faith is a decision, good will towards people is a series of decisions that work themselves out not in temporary holiday cheer, but in the details of everyday life.
Source: These meditations were prepared by Rich Miller of Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Rich is a lay speaker who attends the The Hopewell United Methodist Church in Hopewell Borough, N.J.
Photo: Adoration of the Magi, Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1488-89
View all Advent Devotional 2014 posts here.
I realize that this comment is not always motivated by the cashier's genuine interest in whether or not I enjoy my holiday. I'm aware that they may be saying this because they've been told to. I can envision the memo from K mart corporate headquarters directing cashiers when to switch from "Have a nice day" to "Happy Holidays," on the assumption that this will somehow help cement a lasting bond between the store and the customer that won't evaporate when a Wal-Mart opens across the street.
I'm aware of all that, and suspicious of the whole business. But at least once every year, I have a cashier who looks me in the eye and says "Merry Christmas," and really means it. And it changes my whole day.
There really is something genuine to this whole idea of Christmas cheer. As Dec. 25th draws near, people warm up just a bit. If you're out and around on Christmas Eve, you'll notice that people are friendlier than on any other day of the year.
Folks warm up when they are mindful of the Christ child's birth, and make an extra effort to practice the virtues the angels sing of - "peace on earth, goodwill towards men."
But consider this - why do we notice this at Christmas? Why does this surge in warmheartedness stand out? I think it's because, despite our best intentions, good will towards men can easily become a seasonal event rather than a standing policy.
When Christ entered our world, he didn't come to brighten our Decembers, but to transform our lives. It can be hard work to practice good will towards one another. But John the Baptist's message was that as we prepare for Christ to come into our lives, we can change our ways.
The Gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry provide the blueprint for loving our neighbor in a busy and complicated neighborhood. Christ made a point of seeking out the broken and disenfranchised people of his day - the lepers, prostitutes and tax collectors - and he saw the value in each one of them. And in so doing, He helped them recognize the value in themselves.
This Christmas season, let us recognize that just as faith is a decision, good will towards people is a series of decisions that work themselves out not in temporary holiday cheer, but in the details of everyday life.
Source: These meditations were prepared by Rich Miller of Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Rich is a lay speaker who attends the The Hopewell United Methodist Church in Hopewell Borough, N.J.
Photo: Adoration of the Magi, Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1488-89
View all Advent Devotional 2014 posts here.
© 2014, copyright Thomas MacEntee
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