What Would Jesus Buy?

Just a head's up - this is likely to be kind of a jumbled post. This whole idea of "what would Jesus buy" is something that Rachelle and I have wrestled with for a long time, and even though we might be getting closer to some answers (at least for our family), we really aren't much closer to doing anything about it. Again, just a head's up for you, in the event that in the middle of reading this, you find yourself going "Say what?"

How many of you reading this now begin to feel stressed out when the Holidays roll around each year? Maybe even just reading that sentence caused your chest to tighten up a bit! I've noticed the last couple of years that it's really not Thanksgiving that makes me dread "the season." It's Christmas - or what we've made Christmas out to be - that makes me feel like Scrooge. The official "Christmas Holiday Season" begins with something that's been dubbed "Black Friday." How encouraging and uplifting is that?

How 'bout the commercial where the family drives up in front of Grandma's house, wave, and then drive off? The whole thrust is for more money to be spent on themselves, and not shared. [And we laugh!] Or the commercial where the mom is showing the dad all of the relatives on her supercool phone? The deal there is that we don't even know our own families anymore! [And again, we laugh!]

We laugh at commercials like those because they remind us of ourselves. Seriously. We've begun making the dreaded "list." You know, where we write down everyone's name, and then what we want to buy for them (within the preset agreed upon limit, of course). Here is where the wheels start to fall off. People don't know their relatives well enough to know what kind of gift they would like or appreciate. So, the ones who at least care about trying to get something meaningful for a gift pick up the phone [Who am I kidding? We email people so we don't have to actually talk to them!] and call, asking "So, what is Little Timmy into these days?"

Those who really aren't concerned with meaningful gifts play the guessing game. They either hit the after Christmas sales and guess how big Little Timmy will be in 12 months so they can buy him clothes (that he won't need), or they just assume that since Little Timmy is a boy, he will like this boy toy. Impersonal, yes. But you can rack up a big gift count on the same preset spending limit; and let me tell you - isn't that important, to have lots of stuff?

All of this just sickens Rachelle and I. It's not that we're anti-gift. I truly love to get someone a personal, meaningful gift (and who am I kidding? I love to get them too!). The key is "personal" and "meaningful." We have talked about taking the money that we spend on gifts, and donating it to a homeless shelter or helping provide fresh-water wells in Africa. How do you think folks would respond if they open up a card from the Collins', and it says, "Your gift this year is helping provide life-giving clean water to a child in Rwanda - Merry Christmas!"

Here's the deal - PEOPLE IN AMERICA DON'T NEED ANYTHING. I realize that there are exceptions. But if you don't believe me, just look at your closets. Or really look at your kids' room. I bet they have so many toys that your house has a designated "play room" because their bedroom won't hold them all. Right? We've told our kids that this year's Christmas is going to be different gift-wise (we aren't spending as much), but I can already tell that the idea hasn't sunk in to their sweet little heads. Should be a fun morning at our house . . .

* Pause . . . followed by a sigh *

I promise that I'm not sitting here in a green furry suit with a heart 2 sizes too small. But don't you ever just want to scream "STOP!!!" If you have, check out these links and the video clip. And say a prayer for not just the Collins family, but for all of those that claim the name of Christ, that we would remember the story of Christmas and allow it to shape and mold us into who God would have us be. Maybe that's the best gift we can give this world.

USA Today recently ran a great article that let me know that I'm not alone in my frustration. You can read the article here.

If you have had ENOUGH and want to find out how to stop the madness of consumeristic Christmas, here is a great movement inspired by folks who are trying to recapture the truth of Advent. It's called Advent Conspiracy. It is my hope that my family, as well as my church, will engage in this "conspiracy" of love in the days ahead.

Lastly, Morgan Spurlock, the genius behind Super Size Me and the FX series 30 Days, has produced a half documentary, half comic spoof that nails consumeristic America. It's called "What Would Jesus Buy?" Take a look at the trailer: