Published in the Westchester Guardian, December 2012
This time of year we may hear how secularism has taken over the religious Should trees on government property be called Holiday Trees and should manger scenes be displayed are debated. Should Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays be a greeting between individuals? (I may say Happy Holidays out of respect to another individual whose belief is unknown.)
The real war is having Charlie Brown, Scrooge, the Grinch and It’s a Wonderful Life as the main if not the only sources that this holiday may have some deeper meaning. And only one mentions The Birth of the Savior. The majority displayed on most cable and commercial airways is silly. There is room for some of the fantasy being aired, especially for the children, but it is just so overwhelming nonsense. Read, listen to music. (Maybe another issue here?) Christmas is not as solemn as Easter, but there is room for so much more during this season and again, especially for the children.
The real war is our greed, our focus on possessing; the focus on things instead of the spiritual – and we are losing. So much is being lost to the profit margin. So many of us must work the day before and/or the day after. Even the play, The Grinch changes that one line in which the meaning has been discovered and the towns’ people rejoice regardless of the loss of the stolen gifts. For children some fantasy is all fine and good, but as adults we have lost the Way and again children deserve better. They see nothing of the adult world but the desire for cars, clothes etc. Possessions make the person and strengthen the family are the messages being displayed.
This season has become a time of chores not celebrations. This season has become a time of having and possessing. Our most precious assets, time and family are tainted, misused and taken for granted. We must slowly reclaim the season beginning with the self.
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Glenn Slaby Blog