Peope Look East, The Time is Near...

Have I said before, "I love Advent and Christmas" ? Well, I do. A fact that can be attributed to either nurture (i.e., being raised to celebrate it), nature (there's a lot of Austro-Roma-Hungarian blood on my dad's side) or to just the plain fact that as a Catholic, I recognize the Incarnation as the most important event and high point of history.

Which it most assurredly is. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" is the most stupendous act of love and grace that has/will ever happen. Something to remain mindful of; most people say they hate the holidays, and they are referring to the commercialism.

Crass advertisements blare from radios and televisions, insisting that if you cannot get your bratty relatives and children the "perfect gift", they will hate you forever as a bumbling idiot. I suggest taking note of every company and product that makes these advertisements, and ignoring them after writing a vehement letter. Make sure you have someone check your grammar and spelling; nothing destroys the impact of a good screed like second-grade spelling mistakes.

Anyway, what's more disturbing are the people who hate the holidays because they wish to avoid their family. Or they are irritated by other people's cheerfulness. Or they want everyone to be miserable because they see the world as a miserable place, e.g. "How can you be so happy when there's so much suffering in the world?" Dig deep and most of these people are offended by the idea of Christmas because they are offended by the idea of God. They may also be even more offended by the idea that if God is a caring Being who sent his Son to dwell with man, then there is an obligation on THEM to be and act as Christians.

Simple philosophical idea: To reject the gift is to reject the giver, and any obligation to him.

 Many who have rejected Christianity and/or the Godhood of Christ and the Incarnation, do so because they want to believe that they don't have to act as Christians. For the record: Most sensible Christians do recognize that there is suffering and evil in the world. Believing in God doesn't turn a blind eye to it; instead it comes with a recognition of responsibility as a Christian to work with God, offer up one's own suffering and hardships, and to act with Christ as a follower.