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Connecting

                 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:19)

 

                Today begins a time of year in which the difference between the world and Christianity should be abundantly clear. We’ll see comments that Jesus didn’t exist or that Christmas is just stuff that Christians dragged into their culture because it made pagans more willing to convert. We’ll see all the insanity of Black Friday, drawn out for as long as the stores can milk it. People will stress over all the details, over not getting all they wanted, over who said (or didn’t say) what to whom, who wore (or didn’t wear) what, and trying to beat the Jones in decorations or gift giving.

            Since we live in the world, we can’t escape all of that. Those of us who work in retail are a little more stuck than those who don’t, but I find myself trying to figure out how to not get swept up in the world’s version of things and at the same time, to be swept up in all that Christmas should be.

            So often, when we reject the world’s way, we seem to end up grumpy. When I worked I retail before, I came to hate Christmas because of all the garbage the world brought to it. It didn’t help that the corporation for which I worked seemed determined to play the absolute worst Christmas/holiday/winter music they could find. The corporation I work for now plays instrumental Christian, Christmas, and holiday music, but I still found myself falling into the same routine of negative emotions, especially as I see others buying multiple cartloads of ornaments and talking of decorating nine-foot trees or having to participate in the competition between grandchildren that requires that the gifts given be something the child will like, that costs as much as the gift gotten for the other children, and that fit in the exact same size box – but – it can’t be the same box, and it can’t be just a cardboard box, it has to be purchased.

            And do you hear it in my words? So here’s my challenge to you for this Christmas. Find a way to make Christmas more joyous, more loving, more free, more fun – more positive. Feel free to share your ideas. The only rule is that it’s not to be a competition with the world. The world will hate us, but let’s find a way to connect with God and with each other this Christmas.

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