Advent Conspiracy

Last week, right before Christmas, I saw an article about the "Advent Conspiracy" - an idea that has been around for a while but is only recently gaining popularity. It's the idea that instead of celebrating consumerism for Christmas, we give gifts of service that will truly help those who are suffering and in need. What a novel idea!

What caught my eye about this particular article, honestly, was it's discussion of the whole "war on Christmas" idea. You know, the one where Christians are upset because "Happy Holidays" has gained more popularity than the phrase "Merry Christmas." Perhaps I am not as argumentative as I should be about this, but it has never bothered me when someone says "happy holidays." Perhaps because I have friends who are Jewish, or who do not celebrate Christmas for other various reasons, I do not feel the need to have my grocery store check-out person wish me a Merry Christmas. If they say Happy Holidays, I do not feel that they have offended my faith or denied Christ. Anyone who knows me well knows what I believe, knows that I celebrate Christmas and believe in the birth of Christ - so changing two words and insisting that everyone else on the planet wish me a Merry Christmas seems a bit frivolous to me. It's not about words; it's about actions. You can say "Merry Christmas" all you want, but if you're celebrating it without sharing the greatest gift of the season - the birth of Christ, the love of God - then it's just semantics.

Anyway, that's why the Advent Conspiracy caught my eye. The idea of trying to share God's love through Christmas gifts isn't a new one, but I like that's it's gaining popularity. For example, instead of spending hundreds of dollars on gifts for people, donate to a worthy cause in their name. Or take your family to a homeless shelter and volunteer for the day. Give time, money, or support to God's children who are suffering. Isn't that what we're called to do, anyway?

Don't get me wrong; I enjoy opening presents as much as the next person. And I think it's flattering that someone puts thought and effort into a special gift just for me. I, too, am materialistic and consumeristic, as much as I would like not to be. But I want to make a serious effort to change this; to start giving gifts of service and love (no batteries needed!) I would also like receive these gifts. While it is fun to wake up to a Christmas tree skirt covered in shiny wrapped presents picked out just for me, these gifts of service can also be personalized (and environmentally friendly - no wasted wrapping paper!) For example, World Vision sends out a "gift catalog" every year, and you can select a certain thing to give in honor of someone else. One of the options is to give money to help support a young girl who has escaped sex slavery. Or to help orphans go to school. Or to provide clean water for villages. What amazing gifts! And it's so easy to pick out a cause that is important to someone and give to that in honor of them.

And okay, there are still physical things that I would like to get. But the point is, if we shift our focus of giving during the Christmas season (or any time of year), we can greatly impact the lives of others while honoring those we love. I don't think it's bad or wrong to give material gifts to someone; I do think that it would be so easy to start picking small ways to share the love of God with others. Now... if only I can remember this for next year! ;-)