advent- the real reason for the season

this time of year is always a difficult one with all the high demands from our world to buy and to spend more and more on the newest and latest technologies, on electronics, on clothes, and toys and more. in the midst of all those demands finding time to reflect, to sit and to look on the year past, as well as keeping your eyes on the hope of tomorrow is difficult if you are not intentional about stopping to meditate on the true meaning of this time of year.
the day after thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year in the u.s. i didn't completely understand that phenomenon until thanksgiving day when my mom asked me if i wanted to go shopping on friday at 5 am. it was the most absurd idea i had ever heard. but i hid my desire to stay and sleep in my bed to be with my mom... and i thought to myself, "it is just one morning what's the big deal we'll be 2 of the dozen people who will be up that early". then we arrived at the mall and i looked at the parking lot and it was packed. in fact, on the way to the mall most shops were packed with cars and people and there were parking attendents trying to manage the traffic jam at every end of the parking lot-- and i thought to myself 'this is nuts'! we got inside and there were hundreds of people milling around and i remember feeling entirely disgusted-- why? what had we become? do i think shopping is wrong? no? but i do think that there is something to be said about a society that is motivated by spending money on things we don't really need. yet, when we see someone in need or we hear of stories about genocide or poverty or children starving in other places of the world we are frozen-- we do not act. the sense of urgency to get up and act comes at the thought of saving a few bucks to get every person on your list the perfect gift. and it is a great juxtaposition to see a world so complacent and satisfied at sitting still when there is another part of the world who simply struggle to eat.
i enjoy shopping just like the next person. ask any one of my friends-- i like shopping and buying. and that leaves me to question myself... i was up at 5 am and i reaped the benefits of hanging out at the mall that morning. and why is it so much easier to pick up and go out shopping and spend hours and hours looking at stuff you don't really need when i don't make the time to sit and drink in and reflect the birth of christ. does this time of year produce some kind of anesthetized sanctuary where we do not engage the greater world? if we are focused on our needs--our things-- our gifts-- our stuff why would we need to think of the greater world or others in it? or like jeff (quest intern wrote about on his blog)said how can we truly see a need for a savior or the hope of his birth when we can buy anything to subdue any need we might be feeling?
we've found a loop hole to redemption-- we can buy our own salvation. we can comfort any pain we might have by the numbing effect of buying some material possession in an attempt to feel satisfied and full.
this advent season is a reminder of our need. why would we anticipate the coming of our savior if we didn't need to be saved from anything? no amount of ipods, toys, jewelry or clothes will ever fill that void. christ has come to fill us. he has come to give us new life. he has come to fill us with grace and love. once we recognize that truth we can abandon our old ways to put on the ways of christ that we might join in his mission to fulfill his gospel to love his world. true love sacrifices his/her desires so that others can be elevated above themselves. i hope that i'm teaching my daughter something much greater than santa clause and reindeers-- i hope that i'm teaching her that the day we celebrate christmas commemorates the birth of a small babe who grew into a man and loved his creation with the purest of loves that he humbled himself in order that the world could be elevated.
come jesus come.