Thursday 23 December 2010

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.

this Christmas i'm tired of the rigmarole. i'm a little tired of carols, i'm very tired of rampant consumerism, i'm tired of obligations and crowds and cards and wrapping.
i see no point in gift boxed soaps and enormous candles and Christmas earrings and reindeer antlers for cars. i see no point in giving the wrong thing, even with the best intentions.
we have here one lone tree but everything else is chaos as usual. even Chrismas feasting is failing to get much excitement from me.
as i wade through the traditions and the busyness feeling like the grinch i try to keep my spiritual eyes and ears open for deeper meaning. i know the story of the Christ child, the Messiah. i know what His coming meant for humanity. i know what it's all about but what does it mean for me? today?
it is strange that the shortest church service of the year will be Christmas day. if any day is the day for prolonged worship, Christmas would be it but instead we schedule a short service so we can rush home to family and presents and bacchanalian feasting.
even among the Christians the Christchild has made way for consumerism.....

so while the pressures of the season annoy me, while the loss of focus dismays me, as unrealistic expectations of joy and universal peace set us all up for failure it is for me to find joy, real joy and to create meaning. it is my job to teach my children that the birth of a baby two thousand years ago should not be an excuse to clutter the planet or our homes or our minds and spirits with junk.

Jesus was first a refugee, later an itinerant preacher. he was a nobody who had nothing but he changes lives yet. thats something to aspire to.

to all of my blog buddies, whether you celebrate or whether you dont, i know that you cant avoid the season so i wish you joy and peace and just enough grinchiness to make sure that the important isnt lost in the urgent.
lots of love
k

14 comments:

  1. Kia ora Kylie,
    It is why this time of year I just need to get into the mountains and sit by a river. I think Jesus would like that.
    Wishing you and your family a beautiful and peaceful Yuletide Season.
    You have grown this year as a writer by leaps and bounds. At times you make me sit back and stare at this screen as I ponder and think of where I am in relation to your words. That, to me, is the mark of an excellent writer. And it is always cool to stop in here and see what is up.
    Kia kaha Kylie e hoa.
    Aroha,
    Robb

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  2. robb,
    i want to thank you very sincerely for such a grand compliment and for taking the trouble engage fully as you read.
    this year has been a hard one for me and struggling for inspiration has meant that writing has been less of a solace than usual so your words are valuable.
    At a time of festival Jesus would have been far from the crowd, in fact as i write i remember that scriptures even record it....

    i know that your time in the mountains always brings you joy and a touchstone and i wish that for you well into the future.

    have a wonderful Yuletide (great word, had to steal it!)
    aroha,
    k

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  3. The Christmas commercialism and general over-the-topness always repulses me. I just ignore it all and have a very simple Christmas - good food, good wine, some good films and a few modest presents. That's quite enough to have a relaxing, enjoyable holiday. The rest is totally superfluous. Luckily neither of us have a huge family to think about at Christmas so there's no need for a lot of fuss and bother.

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  4. I have nothing to add to this. So I will add nothing to it.

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  5. The feelings you describe in this Christmas homily are also mine. See how you feel in another 30 or so years.

    Carols. If one tires of them with just regular church attendance, imagine what it is like to play carols on the streets for 63 years approx. That's as a Salvation Army brass player I allude to. 63 years of playing Silent Night 'x' number times a night! Or say the non Christian songs like Rudolph the red nosed ...! Songs like that find me unable to grasp their deep meaning. Good meaningful writing Kylie. Glad I read english!

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  6. Same to you Kylie. I'm not religious but it is nice to have the family together although we're a bit fragmented this year. I think mostly, I'm looking forward to two weeks wind down. Have a good one.

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  7. hurray for my sweetheart, kylie or kia<><><>you have won me over{ everything was so well put, sweetie} i guess if we our careful in our heart we can taste both{ i think that is what you mean} and if you don't thenm forget about me calling u sweetheart ever again

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  8. My feelings are the same as nick's.
    To John our daughter has been playing quite alot with the salvation army this year playing at different venues so much we have hardly seen her.

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  9. nick,
    what are you hoping santa brings?

    walking man,
    i was amazed to see that you had posted with a similar message, though your style is so much more poetic!

    dad,
    in 30 years i will be an unbearably grouchy eccentric old woman!

    baino,
    do you have plans for anything in particular over the break? or just a lot of relaxation?

    putzy,
    have a wonderful Christmas, you funny dude! i hope all the blessings of the season are yours: family, food, friends, peace , joy and free love!! (orright, maybe not the last bit)
    call me sweetheart and compliment me anytime!
    by the way, kia kaha means something like stay strong
    loveya

    jo,
    i already wished you a lovely Christmas but once more for luck, eh?
    xo

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  10. As always, I hope Santa will bring me truckloads of cash. And as always, he lets me down and gives me some footling present like a pair of socks. Santa's a big waste of space.

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  11. Jo,

    I trust and pray that your daughter enjoyed her experience with band carolling.

    Despite the wear and tear on the well loved carols in the performer's psyche it is a joy to be appreciated. What band was it?

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  12. Well, I know what I think his coming (not that I think he really existed necessarily) meant for humanity, but I don't know what he means to you. We are on the same page as far as being tired of many aspects of the season.

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  13. snow,
    i dont know how i missed it but i missed your post on christmas until today and it was brilliant!

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