Thinking about Christmas this year has caused me a certain amount of concern.
I don’t really feel Christmassy. Actually, how do you feel Christmassy? I am not really sure. Can I ignore it, and if I do, will it just slip quietly past and ignore me?
No, somehow I don’t think so.
Even if I was able to avoid the full onslaught of advertising on the television and other media so blatantly in your face by, not just fast forwarding the ads on time shifted TV, but actually switching it off for awhile, it has seemed that in this time of so called belt pulling in, big money is still being spent on quantity rather than necessarily quality for Christmas.
I am not Bill Gates or James Packer, not even related to either them, to have the money to spend up big time; but if the advertising is getting just a small percentage of the populace in, a heck of a lot of money is being spent on gifts in the name of Christmas this year.
I have just opened a Christmas letter from good friends and the following paragraph opens their letter. I could not put it better …
The bright lights of Christmas are more welcome than ever this year. Cutting back is the thing to do this year with our spending on “things.” Let’s hope we don’t cut back on the true meaning of Christmas.
- each day 900 million people across the globe will go without any food at all, while another 200 million are on the brink of starvation
- 105,000 Australians who are homeless each night
http://www.transformhomelessness.com.au/http://officialmissionaustralia.blogspot.com/2008/12/mission-australia-and-bayer-launch.html
- Australian Bureau of Statistics figures indicate more than 22,000 children under the age of five sleep in crisis accommodation at some stage each year.Scarey stuff? I bet it is scarey for them.
So, before you rush out in the last shopping hours before Christmas … just slow down, breathe in deeply for a minute and think a little about those many people out there, maybe not even too far away from where you are, who are not looking forward to Christmas one little bit.
Who?
The parents who can’t even afford a real meal for their kids, against the latest expensive gizmo you just have to buy your kids, so that you can feel content in being the good dad or mum.
The mother with the young baby, who wonders where she will shelter tonight, against that new theatre sound system you just have to have for the media room.
No, don’t cut back on the true meaning of Christmas this year.
Think about maybe a small gift to some organization which is helping others over this season of peace and goodwill to all (and all through the year). Or, lash out and make it a generous gift. That will really make you feel good. There are plenty of choices … you decide.
As well as the obvious names that we see throughout the year, one I like is
http://www.hollows.org/
For $25 you can restore someone’s sight. Wow! Think about that. Maybe you could afford a little bit each month; that’s a gift that keeps on giving. Give it a go.
Peace on earth, goodwill to all of you this Christmas.
