Why Don't You?
- Why Don't You Talk About The Sermon? (1)
- Go on a short-term mission trip? (2)
- Serve On A Camp (3)
- Why don't you practise hospitality? (5)
- Why Don't You Sing Carols? (6)
- Why Don't You Give Generously? (7)
- Why Don't You Consider Professional Counselling? (9)
- Why Don't You Memorise Scripture? (10)
- Why Don't You Tell Someone About Jesus? (11)
- Why Don't you Enjoy Christmas? (12)
‘Don’t be such a Scrooge!’ These are five words that this irritable writer has heard more times than he has endured Christmas dinners.
My considered response? ‘Bah, humbug!’ Or some equally uncharitable equivalent. Yes, for the less sanguine of us, Christmas is complicated.
Our culture enthusiastically embraces the season’s sanctioned revelry, extravagance and overindulgence. Yet such excesses often mask hopelessness, emptiness and crisis. For others, the prospect of pretending to celebrate in the midst of pain or grief seems almost perverse.
Yet, the church has a light to hold out in the darkness; causes for deep joy, celebration and wonder. The Word made flesh! The greatest expression of God’s love for a broken world! The Son of God who humbled himself to walk among us, to seek and save the lost. A time of heaven-sent miracles, angel-song, God’s ultimate intervention in human history. Joy to the world! But how quickly gospel wonder is obscured in a snowstorm of endless tasks, financial worries, family politics, duties, deadlines and weary cliches.
Rediscover the joy of Christmas
How can you ward off hard-heartedness this Christmas?
Feed your wonder
Approach the nativity devotionally before you hit December. Use Advent devotionals in November, exploring familiar passages with others to discover familiar truth afresh.
Say no to things
That may sound pretty Scrooge-like, but why not practise guarding time for rest and reflection amongst the busyness of events, meetings, concerts, parties, services, fairs, crafts, shopping and countless other activities? Resolve to serve God where it matters most and spend your energy there.
Don’t think the worst
Pessimism and cynicism easily creep in, especially as you face the never-ending nativity rehearsals or the prospect of singing Hark the Herald for the nineteenth time in ten days. Pray for a heart that seeks the best in circumstances and others.
Don’t be down on the world
It’s easy to trot out familiar phrases of disapproval and discontent: ‘They’re taking the Christ out of Christmas!’ Try turning moaning into prayerful yearning. How can you share joy, care for the lost, and be involved in your local community? Sing carols in a pub, do your nativity outside, model grace as you meet and encourage new folk outside of your comfort zone.
Get stuck in
So what if it’s all a bit naff? Set aside your ego and wear that dumb jumper, sing louder than everyone else and be the donkey in the nativity. Humility and good humour go a long way to putting a smile on someone’s face, even if it’s not yours.
Support your church leaders
You think you’re fed up with it? They’ve been thinking about Christmas since August! By mid-December, they’re often working far beyond their capacity. Be the wise, caring voice. Ask if they’re doing ok. Cook them a meal. Offer to take something on. Babysit for them. Pray for them and with them.
Cultivate empathy
Maybe Christmas isn’t your favourite time of year, perhaps for good reasons. You’re not alone. The cross is never far from the cradle. Foster deep care for those who suffer, wherever the Lord orchestrates such divine encounters. Sit with the grieving, cry with the hurting and walk alongside the lonely this Christmas. Turn from your own anxieties and be Jesus to others (Matt. 25:31-46).
Charles Dickens’ parable closes with a reformed Scrooge declaring, ‘I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.’ What could be more Scrooge-like than to be changed? Dickens derived his character’s name from 2 Samuel 7, where Samuel erects an Ebenezer, a memorial stone, to remind Israel of God’s unfailing help. For us, recalling God’s grace in the incarnation of Christ could be the key to our transformation this Christmas. Maybe the real challenge is to be a Scrooge after all.
