Christmas cards. They are a big part of our “December cut” Christmas tradition. Most of us send them and receive them. But do we ever consider what message we are communicating with them? What do the cards we receive – and send – say about Christ and Christmas?
Many of the cards I’ve received portray beautiful and pastoral Currier and Ives winter scenes. There’s usually snow, often a horse drawn sleigh, maybe with a Christmas tree on board. Or there’s cute little animals – not only reindeer, but also chipmunks, raccoons, cardinals, and cute gray mice. Or friendly, cherubic angels. Even the religiously-themed cards seem a far cry from the biblical story. To look at the holy family in these cards, you can tell instantly that these are not real human beings. In the midst of lives in a mess, they look unruffled and serene. Bright gold halos surround their heads like crowns. Inside, these cards stress themes like love, goodwill, cheer, happiness, warmth.
These cards attract perhaps through their portrayal of a simpler time. As Philip Yancey points out in The Jesus I Never Knew, Christmas did not sentimentally simplify life on planet earth. Yancey says, “Christmas art depicts Jesus’ family as icons stamped in gold foil, with a calm Mary receiving the tidings of the Annunciation as a kind of benediction. But that is not at all how Luke tells the story. Mary was ‘greatly troubled’ and ‘afraid’ at the angel’s appearance, and when the angel announced the sublime words about the Son of the Most High whose kingdom will never end, Mary had something far more mundane on her mind: But I’m a virgin!”
As I try to point out in the sermon series Christmas in July: The Director’s Cut, the biblical portrayal of Christmas is much more like real life. God comes to us in the midst of the most difficult circumstances. God even uses difficult circumstances to come to us. I don’t mean to make anyone afraid to send me a Christmas card – which will be, I suppose, the natural effect of my ranting about them in this way! – but I wonder if we ought to require of ourselves that our cards reflect our gospel? Can we select cards to send that bear some resemblance to the actual scripture story we reverence?
Just a thought to make your December Christmas just a little more meaningful.
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3 comments:
I thought yesterday's sermon was spot-on, Bob. As a child, I can remember my parents pouring over lovely books of Christmas cards. Mother always wanted one with a religious theme; Dad always chose one for his bank that was the Currier & Ives variety, explaing that he couldn't afford to "offend" anyone. As a kid, I never understood how Christmas could be offensive to people, and I didn't understand business. But I still side with my mother on that argument, though certainly my father wasn't in the minority. Any business greeting card one receives at the holiday, is much more likely to express "Seasons Greetings" or something equally innocuous, rather than any reference to Christ and Christmas. My solution to this problem is to drop notes to my Jewish friends and colleagues telling them that as I prepare to celebrate Christmas, I am wishing them a Happy Chanuka. I see no reason to blur the two holidays into a generic greeting card. I appreciate you calling us back to the notion that Christmas isn't about the cards and other trappings, anyway. It's about Emmanuel, God with us. I'll sing that hymn next Christmas with new fervor. Thanks.
I, too, struggle with the idea of not offending our non-Christian friends. But I don't send a Christmas card to convert anyone. Is send it to share the joy of the season from my Christian vantage point. I like your solution.
Businesses do have a quandry. But that gets me into the whole idea of businesses USING Christmas to further their ends, rather than celebrating Christ's birth. I.e., more commercialism. It feels like they are 'stealing' Christmas. Better leave that one alone!
Well, I agree with you that businesses use Christmas--and not just retailers, either.
If I'm remembering my Christian history correctly, Christ's birth wasn't even celebrated for the first few hundred years of the church--am I right? I think the early church took over the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, and turned that pagan celebration into a celebration of Christ's birth. In some quarters, it seems as if we're trying to give the celebration back to the Romans. I'll get off my soap box now. :0)
I'm looking forward to next week!
Elaine
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