“The most wonderful time of the year” has arrived – a time to gather with family and friends and for church activities. To help you and me make it through this wonderful time, here are 10 Things NOT to Do at Christmas:
10) Don’t Forget Those Without Food — Jesus once said that when we feed the hungry, we’re feeding him. Do you want to guess what it means when we ignore the hungry?
9) Don’t hang the “No Vacancy Sign.” Make room at the inn. Make sure there is room in the inn of your heart for the stranger, and the homeless. In Mary & Joe & Jesus, we celebrate a homeless family.
8) Don’t celebrate consumerism. ‘Tis the season for mass consumerism. Apparently, Christmas has slowly drifted into buying, not caring. If you’re going to spend money, buy local and buy from places that honor equal rights for all.
7) Don’t miss the message about resisting abusive power. The holy family had to flee their homeland because King Herod used his power to kill any pretender to the throne. Christmas should cause us to recommit to a position of standing up to those who abuse power.
6) Don’t forget about immigrants. If we take all of the foreigners, Jews, and Arabs out of the nativity, we’re not left with much.
5) Don’t forget people who have nothing. John the Baptist suggests if we have two coats, give one away. Instead of giving to those who already have too much, give to those who have nothing instead.
4) Don’t demand that your religious celebration must rule all others out. Technically, there are dozens of major celebrations this time of year. It’s better to go to all the parties than insist everyone comes to yours and yours alone.
3) And part of understanding that is Don’t get mad about “Happy Holidays.” Holiday means holy days. There is no “war” on Christmas.
2) Don’t believe that December 25 is Jesus’ actual birthday. We don’t know when Jesus was born. We celebrate the birth on December 25.
1) Don’t miss that love is born among us in places of danger, a world full of fear, and where hope is fragile. Love is born for the face we see in the mirror.
Shalom, Paul