
Today we were accosted by a driver who in the spirit of Christmas blasted his car horn and shook his fist at us while speeding into the parking lot of the shopping mall. Bless you too! How does something so wonderful become such a source of aggravation?
We sing peace on earth good will towards men while we curse them for walking too slowly or driving the speed limit. John Lennon’s song, So This Is Christmas, is about stopping war, yet this seems to be the very thing it creates on a very personal level.
The emphasis through the media is happiness, joy, family and warmth of relationship. What is the reality? Are we happy? Does this time foster joy? Is it a great time of family and closeness of relationship? In many cases it is and that’s why we put up with the commercial trappings. But for some people it is a huge disappointment. The hopes spurred on by the media only exaggerate what isn’t there.
The first year I was a minister in a church I was so surprised by the number of parishioners who called for appointments after Christmas. Their main problem was overwhelming disappointment with their family at Christmas. The snide comments from their father were even more hurtful over the holidays. Their mother’s control issues were right in their face. Their hope for blessing a loved one with a well-chosen gift failed. The lack of gratitude for all the effort expended to create a special Christmas day saddened them.
The two weeks after Christmas became a time of facing reality within people’s families. Some prayed and forgave, others continued to labour under the unfulfilled expectations of family, and still others made significant changes to their Christmas plans for the future. We are the only ones who can create a Christmas that truly satisfies our hearts. We can only change our attitude and expectations.
An attitude of gratitude for what we do have goes a long way towards truly enjoying the season of peace on earth and good will to mankind.
(image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net)