The Grinch vs. "The Christmas Shoes"

There have been discussions bouncing around my pastor's blog and in the recent sermons about whether Christmas is too consumeristic or whether it's nifty and people just need to chill with the Scrooginess. Rather than coming down on one side of the other, I'll give you my little theory about why there are sides at all: We all need something different. I kinda meant to save that for the last paragraph or two, but here it is right at the beginning! But if you listen to people talk about why they love/hate this season and all its trappings, it usually comes down to personal experience, and what they want to embrace or feel the need to reject. There's no right or wrong stance, because on one side is people saying, "People have bad experiences and do bad things," and on the other side is people saying, "But some people have good experiences and do good things," and both are true and neither negates the other.

So, some folks have bad memories from childhood, or don't have anyone to celebrate with, or can't afford to buy things for people, or feel pressured to participate in the extravagant materialism, and they'd like the world to ease up on the Christmas already. And others love the lights and the opportunity to give or the opportunity to receive and the baking and the trees, and don't want anyone raining on their parade. Of course, there are variances and nuances, and I'm not trying to oversimplify anyone's feelings. What I'm saying is that maybe it's OK to fall anywhere in that spectrum of approaches, and perhaps we don't need to make it so antagonistic. One person feels accused or left out and vents a little, and other people react, and suddenly we have a volley of hard-line stances and recriminations: "You're a mindless consumer who doesn't care about the third world!" "Well, you're a Grinch who doesn't know how to have fun!" And on it goes.

How about a little less accusation and a little more invitation to find some joy, each in their own way?