Into the Wardrobe

Sometimes I think I live in Narnia.  Seriously.  I work about 20 minutes from home.  The other day it was beautiful, sunny, and dry when I left work, not a flake in the air.  My drive home was uneventful until I got to the Zeeland line, when all of a sudden it was a blizzard!  I felt like I had driven into an invisible wardrobe, right into the snowy forest in Narnia.  Oh, the dreaded 'lake effect.'  Welcome to December!  I would post some pictures, but that would require venturing out in the cold.  Maybe later...

What is Christmas, Anyway?

I have a struggle with Christmas.  I think it's wonderful that we set aside a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior, but I'm not sure what it really looks like to do that intentionally and genuinely.  Most people say that's what we're celebrating, but so many other things are so intertwined that Jesus often gets lost along the way.  I'm all for family gatherings, festive songs, parties, and even the gifts when given in moderation. (I can even look past the fact that Jesus was most likely not born in the winter at all.) But where does Santa and Black Friday and stress and "I want, I need, I wish..." fit amongst it all?  How do we reconcile these 'traditions' with what is supposed to be a celebration of a baby born in a feeding trough, sent to bring shalom (peace) to the chaos of the world?  Ask most Americans, and peace is not the first thing on their minds when it comes to the holiday season.  There's rushing and baking and buying and worrying and planning and wrapping.... How does this equal Jesus?  We rationalize by putting out a little nativity set next to the giant Christmas tree and going to the Christmas Eve service before coming home to put out cookies for Santa's big arrival. Ask any kid -- is the anticipation of Christmas about a baby born in Bethlehem or about a big man in a red suit at the North Pole?

Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying I'm more spiritual than anyone else.  I'm not claiming to have the right focus myself.  I'm just trying to figure it all out.  My family has tried to made some changes to shift the focus from ourselves and to understand why we do what we do and what's really important.  But, it doesn't mean much to stop doing 'Christmas-y' things if we don't replace them with something to refocus on Jesus.  What can we do to truly celebrate Jesus?  What kind of new traditions can we start?  How can we make a positive difference without just looking critically at others?  Thoughts, anyone?