Christmas without presents

Posted by admin on Dec 1, 2009 in Issues & Ideas | 2 comments

When I was a child, the wait for Christmas morning was nothing short of excruciating, but always worth it. The anticipation and excitement of unwrapping gifts that had been lovingly placed under the Christmas tree was the highlight of my entire holiday. One does not need to look far to see just how obsessed North American society is over giving and receiving gifts. We get so lost in the commercialization and avariciousness of the Christmas season that we lose sight of why we celebrate it.

In contrast to this, many families decide to give up exchanging presents at Christmas; instead focusing entirely on the religious aspect of the holiday. This method eliminates the stresses associated with searching and shopping for gifts for friends and family. It also saves money, which is an especially enticing idea in times of economic downturn.

The idea of giving up presents for Christmas can be very appealing to those wishing to save money or direct their focus back to Christ; however it is much easier said than done. At base level, we are selfish creatures. We love receiving stuff and Christmas presents us with the perfect excuse to fulfill this desire.

While it is a nice idea to remove the temptation of presents from distracting us from the purpose of Christmas, we need to remember what Christmas is really about. God gave us His son, our salvation, the greatest present of all. Gift-giving is all about relationships- not the getting, or even the giving, but the interaction. This is the beginning of a deeper connection between giver and receiver, allowing them to grow closer. God wants to have this connection, so He sent His son to begin the process of bringing us out of our selfish mentalities and sinful states into a greater relationship.

The act of giving presents on Christmas is not a bad thing, but a reflection of God’s love for us. However, just like so many acts of love, it can be altered for our own purposes. If Christmas is indeed a time of reflection and refocusing, we should take the time to look at how we celebrate God’s great gift to His children. If we can experience this gift in the same way that we get excited over opening presents on Christmas morning, then we can begin to grow closer to God in ways unimaginable to us.