I’m probably going to raise some eyebrows here by suggesting that the Advent Conspiracy web site - even with their proper condemnation of consumerism and greed - is still missing the boat and putting the cart before the horse in their advocation of the restoration of the true spirit of Christmas by “compassion and not consumption”.
Christmas is all about the Incarnation - the unique Biblical teaching that God became man. For me personally, it is the most powerful and unfathomable miracle in all of Scripture. How the eternal, infinite God can dwell in all His glorious fullness in a finite man, dazzles me. That the timeless God chose to step out of eternity into time and space, awes me. If we truly begin to grasp the wonder of the Incarnation, with its’ attendant purposes & implications as well as necessary consequences, then compassion and charity will be the inevitable fruit in our lives. But Christmas begins with coming to terms with the Incarnation …. not merely by exercising compassionate giving.
The unique doctrine of Incarnation is what separates us from others that also believe in a single, transcendent God - such as Jews, Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc. It is an important bulwark of the faith.
In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus is teaching in the home of Martha and Mary. Martha is busy preparing to serve (i.e., to properly act with compassion), and Mary is merely sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to Him. Martha, frustrated by Mary, finally asks the Lord to tell her sister to help. But Jesus refuses. Mary, in trying to grasp the Incarnate Word, has chosen what is better … and what must precede any act of serving.
The cartoon special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has it right. While speaking out against American consumerism, it powerfully shines the spotlight on the true meaning of Christmas - the Incarnation. The real meaning of Christmas is not merely the antithesis of greed; it’s about God coming to dwell among us.
Advent Conspiracy has it right that Christmas was meant to change the world. But true change begins with the Incarnation, not merely by giving to others and helping those in need. If we seek to grasp the true meaning of Christmas by just giving to others - while we certainly have done a noble and good thing - we have tragically still missed the genuine meaning of Christmas. Our outside actions don’t ultimately bring lasting change in our hearts. It’s opening our hearts to the truth of the Incarnation with its’ subsequent purposes, that brings real and lasting change. And ultimately, it’s what should motivate us to give.
Last night in Journey Group, we took a break from Galatians and began grappling with the Incarnation in the month leading up to Christmas. I urge you to do the same if you’re truly seeking the meaning of Christmas. A good place to start is the classic work “On The Incarnation” by Athanasius some 16 centuries ago. It’s a short book that is available for free download on the internet, or from Amazon.com in paperbook.
Celebrate Christmas. Wonder at the Incarnation.
Bob
Fides Quaerens Intellectum
__________________________
Bob Pratico
Fides Quaerens Intellectum
(my Sojourn blog)
save to del.icio.us
share on Facebook
on Technorati
Goodstuf, Bob. His
Goodstuf, Bob. His incarnation through Himself is the horse. His incarnation through us is the cart.
Intimacy with the Savior comes first.
__________________________Incarnation to the world overflows from there.
David Thew
Sojourn Pastor
Thewblog
Well said Professor. Thanks
Well said Professor. Thanks for leading us into the topic last night in Journey Group. I have been pondering it in amazement. Wow– that the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. There is no greater gift.
blessings,
Judy
No eyebrows raised, here.
No eyebrows raised, here. You’re right. Otherwise it’s just a social gospel … which is increasingly a term that I don’t like. If it had parts of the gospel in the social activism, it’s not such a bad idea. The word “gospel” is out of place in the term - it’s the social activism isolated from the gospel that makes this not work.
In a different (but similarly wrongheaded) approach, I’ve seen some folks try to organize a boycott of stores that commercialize Christmas. The fact that they’re trying to boycott the stores seems to say to me that they have already previously bought into the commercialism in some degree … I’m not completely sure what I think about this, either. The approach seems funky, somehow.
Okay, that was probably way off topic.
- garrett
__________________________- garrett (golfsierra.org/blog)
Eric has put this book
Eric has put this book online
__________________________Bob Pratico
Fides Quaerens Intellectum
(my Sojourn blog)
Post new comment