VICARS LETTER FOR DECEMBER

Someone complained that they found it more difficult to buy a religious Christmas card. Some think-tank is looking to downgrade Christmas to give it equal standing in society with other faith festivals. I predicted a while ago that before long the number of people taking time out to celebrate Christmas would tail off to leave it mainly as a religious observation for those who actively practiced their Christian faith. I reasoned that people with no idea what the festival was about would begin to count the financial cost of the binge and ask themselves if it all warranted the cost. Of course a bank holiday could be arranged for around the 25th December to observe a winter break from work. More and more people are living singly, without children and dispersed from their families. More and more actively retired couples are taking themselves off from their communities and spending Christmas abroad. The reality is that attention is now fixed, not on the Holy Family and what God has done for us in the sign of Jesus' birth, but on other activities that have nothing to do with the birth of Christ. Personally, if I was NOT a Christian I would be asking myself just why am I propping up the expectations big business for a bumper harvest of my cash.

I am sure that Christmas will go the way of Easter in the end. Apart from a few bunnies and chocolate eggs the majority of people have long shunned serious engagement with the events of Lent, Holy Week and Easter. How long before the orgy of spending on children, Christmas office parties and decorations causes someone to ask the question, "what on earth are we doing this FOR?"

I'm no kill joy, but my focus will be on giving thanks to God for the sign of His love for us in Jesus. I will make the attempt to transfer that love to others, by some small act of generosity that reflects God's generosity to us in giving us Jesus.

Have a really joyful Christmas and sing your heart out!!

Robin