For me, its all about context. You can argue over whether or not Santa comes to your house, Baby Jesus leaves presents, or the Three Wise men bring three gifts and leave them under your tree, the point is that we give, we take joy in giving, and we receive joyfully. In the right context this teaches us about God's Love for us - He freely gave us His only Son, and He chose to do so in a very human, intimate way. Presents under the tree remind us that God's gift to us was free and mysterious, wonderful, anticipated, and yet a surprise. The evergreen of the Tree symbolizes the never-endingness of God and His Love. Advent decorations remind us of this special time of year and they help us wait with anticipation - just as the children of Israel did long ago.
Outside, traditionally, lights and ornaments literally "lit the way" for the Christ Child. Outdoors the flickering candles gave way to colored lights and pretty white lights, but the concept of lighting the way for the Child Jesus to come to your home on Christmas remained. Now, though....
Can anyone tell me what the heck an inflatable Santa in a BATHTUB has to do with ANYTHING? I mean seriously, a bathtub. On your front lawn. With a presumably naked Santa sits. Happily. How in the world is that even Christmas-related!? When did bathing on the front lawn cease to be creepy? Especially in 30 degree weather? Especially for old, bearded men? My friends, we have come a long way from lighting the way and waiting for Christ's birth. For that matter, what does Santa opening the door of a trailer have to do with Christmas? What about Hunting Santa - complete with shot gun and camp print suit? (Yes this is another inflatable decoration I have seen with my own eyes!) Did the designer forget that Santa owns...wait for it...REINDEER? What did he do this year? Go all sportsman and shoot Rudolph? If we put that thing in our yard my kids would be grief stricken - Santa with his own reindeer in his sights. And don't even get me started on Outhouse Santa...(yep saw that one too.) What has this to do with Christmas!?
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| Courtesy of Lowes.com |
It is a symptom of a dumbing down of Christmas. A move to replace what Christmas is really about with commercialism, adult humor, and secularism. I mean why put up an outdoor Nativity when you can have Santa in a bathtub, a giraffe wearing a Santa hat, and light up palm trees instead! All while your house blinks in every color of the spectrum to loud rock music! Now THAT'S Christmasee.
I'm not down on Christmas lights or decorations. Don't get me wrong. We have one of our trees outside wrapped in colored lights and some lights in the windows. Decorations, twinkling lights, they add to the mysterious wonder of Christmastime. This isn't bad. The wonder, the "magic" of Christmas helps us to somehow grasp the wonder and mystery of God-made-man. Its why I encourage our children to experience the wonder and joy and "magicalness" of the season. Someday they will be better able to grasp God's majesty, mystery and awesomeness because I have let them have a taste of it in a way they can grasp. But garish blow up lawn ornaments and lights blinking so fast they cause passing motorists seizures isn't part of the program. No thanks. I'll keep our Christmas in context. After all, if it doesn't somehow point back to Christ's Birth, and God's amazing and Mysterious Love for us, what is the point of it all anyway?
And that my friends, is my Advent Rant!
Happy Advent and Merry Christmas!
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