Can We Stop the Madness, Please?

I'm sitting here watching "Jingle All the Way." If you haven't seen the movie, here's a quick synopsis: A Dad forgets to get his son the hot Christmas toy of the year, TurboMan, and so he has to go out on Christmas Eve and accomplish the impossible: find the toy that everyone else has already purchased.

It's a silly comedy, and I don't care for the Governator, but it reminds me of the year when Kyle and I decided to get up for one of those ridiculous 5 a.m. sales so that we could find Furbies for our kids. Furbies were the hot toy that year and we were determined to have two under the tree on Christmas morning. We thought we were ahead of the game, and that we would beat the crowds. Not so. The crowds decided to get up at 5 a.m. also, and so we were joined by about 200 people who were already standing in line at the Big Box. So we hurried over to another big box thinking that everyone was at the first Big Box and we would circumvent the system. Not so. They were there also. So, we headed to mall (collective groan on cue, please) and the small toy shop was shooing people out of the store because it was exceeding capacity according to the fire code. That was the end of the Furbie road for us. We went to breakfast at Village Inn and decided to explain to our kids that Santa couldn't find any Furbies that year. We also promised each other that we would never, ever, ever, never, hit the early morning sales and join the frenzy of the Hot Christmas Toy of the Year. And we explained the situation to the kids about the Furbies and Santa not being able to come through. They were completely understanding and when the store shelves were overstocked with Furbies in mid-January they didn't even want one. So I'm watching this movie and realizing that even though it's a silly comedy, there is much more than just an element of truth in the story.

Pastor Chris Seay tells the story of his church, Ecclesia, and their quest to put Christmas back into proper perspective. One way they did this was to talk to the children of the church about what Christmas is really about. Jesus, they answered. So if Christmas is about Jesus, who should we give presents to? They didn't miss a beat: Jesus, they answered. Then he asked them, "How we do that?" And the children talked amongst themselves and came up with this answer: "We give something to people who are in need." Now that's a broad group. Isn't everyone in need in some way, shape or form? I suppose everyone has to decide for themselves what that might mean, but I don't think that it involves cramming in some shopping for an Angel Tree kid in the middle of our obsessing over the Hot Christmas Toy of the Year. Maybe giving to someone in need means spending time with an elderly neighbor who needs some company during what can be a very lonely season; or helping a single mom hang Christmas lights; or building bridges with someone you have been holding a grudge against. Or maybe, just spending time with those we love instead of cheating them out of our time while we overdo the season with shopping, decorating, and partying.

This year, Kyle and I have been struck by how crazy it all seems. I drove by the mall tonight and the parking lot was packed, and some woman who was driving out of the parking lot cut in front of several cars and I could see her yelling as she hunkered behind the wheel like a madwoman. Wow. Something has gone terribly wrong when Christmas becomes the pursuit of happiness via "stuff." I hate to be kind of scroogy about the season, but it just seems that Christmas has become a commodity. This silly little movie seems far too realistic. I pray that we can move away from the consumerism that has come to define this season and reclaim the beauty of Advent. I'm trying to figure out how to do this myself. It seems to be a somewhat new concept for me. Wish me the best...