Happy Holidays?

I've been thinking a lot about Christmas and what it's really supposed to be about.

Living in America has made me realize how materialistic the world is becoming. Stores have been advertising Christmas sales since the end of October. Black Friday is a monstrosity of a money making day. Instead of opening super early, stores just open their doors at midnight. Do we really need things so badly that we will loose sleep to get them?

We have turned the holiday season into an advertising and profit making scheme. Yeah, family is important and seeing old friends is exciting, but Christmas has really become about presents and stuff. I heard a statistic that the average American will spend something like $600 this Christmas. I'm thinking, "Either these people have TONS of friends, or buying things just makes them happy."

I do not want to part of this consumeristic culture. I want to buy only what I need and use the rest of money to help those who need it. I pray that this is the desire of the church. I hope that we are brave enough to move beyond the popular culture around us.

I hope that we are bold enough to celebrate the birth of Jesus.