Presence vs. Presents: Battling Consumerism

 I have been thinking, praying and reflecting a lot about what it means to be Christians in a consumeristic society. Why do we sink so much time and money into making sure we get the best deals and try to pack as much as we can into our shopping carts? Yes, we say we are just buying gifts for the people we love, but who says we have to spend a bunch of money every year when Black Friday rolls around? What's wrong with trying to give hand-made gifts, or just simply giving our time and our 'presence' to our loved ones, instead of focusing so much on the 'presents'?

 Now, I know what you're probably thinking. "But, that takes away from the tradition of Christmas." and "People are expecting me to get them presents." and "But I'm not crafty, artsy or talented enough to make presents for anyone." Here is my response to that. Stop making excuses. We all know it's easier to go out and buy something than it is to put the time and effort into making a gift for someone. But I guarantee you that people would appreciate a hand-made gift more than something really expensive. In fact, people are more inclined to feel guilty about receiving an expensive gift than they are to be happy about getting it. People appreciate the thought, time, and effort that goes into making a gift, more than looking at a list and buying whatever is on it. I just think that we've gotten too far away from what Christmas is supposed to be about.

 Every year we all hear the same thing in every Christmas Eve service, "Remember what Christmas is really about. It's not about presents, or money, it's about the ultimate gift of Christ coming to earth to save us from our sin." That's all well and good, but I think we're still missing the point. Maybe it's going to take more than just remembering that it's not about the presents under the tree, maybe we should actually forget about the presents completely. Because let's be honest, are we really focused on Christ's unfailing and undying love for us while we tear away wrapping paper and count how many presents under the tree have our names on them? Probably not. I think the only way to really get away from the consumeristic mindset during the Christmas season is to forget about presents and really focus on what's important. Sharing time with the ones we love and remembering together what Christ did for us when He came to earth.

 So here's my proposition; I am boycotting Black Friday and all holiday shopping sales and early bird specials. I am going to make presents for my loved ones and hopefully that won't be a disappointment for them. I am not going to ask for anything for Christmas this year, because honestly, I don't need or want anything other than time with my family, and the ones I love. I will focus on giving 'presence', not 'presents'. I encourage anyone who agrees with me to do the same.

 Andy and I have made the decision together to put any money that we would have spent on gifts for people towards digging wells in Africa. Read more about the reasoning behind our decision here. Advent Conspiracy