Christmas…… are you celebrating it?

There are two Christmas celebrations.

One, the consumerist celebration where we bribe each other in hopes that goodwill can be generated with money instead of time and fellowship. A celebration supported by business hoping to keep selling product.

Two, a religous celebration that takes a historical story of God coming in the form of a human to make the world right by showing us that there is a better way and ending that story with selfless sacrifice. (Perhaps an abbreviated version of the religious story.) A celebration supported by the religious institutions that struggle to exist in the increasing complex world and/or good intentioned humans.

AND

Maybe you need not believe in the story of God coming to earth in human form to accept the reality that we need a celebration to remind ourself that being conscientious in our fellowship with others, selfless contributing to the common good and generally not being a selfish bad person.

Maybe, just maybe, we sadly need a celebration that brings us together because our smart phones, social media and “busy” lives have us focusing, dare I say obessing, on the wrong things in life leaving us feeling hopeless in a time where the world has fewer problems than ever before.