Article December 24, 2007 Issue

Out with Scrooge, in with Immanuel

BY TOM MCELROY

During the holiday season, I've always enjoyed getting involved in the traditions of gift-giving and connecting with friends and family. But as fun as these activities can be, I've realized that I need to be inspired by a more spiritual view of the holidays. Commemorating the real meaning of Christmas, the appearing of Christ—the manifestation of God's presence and power—is something that has become a priority for me.

A few years ago, however, in my zeal to think more spiritually about the season, I became a bit of a Scrooge. My attitude, come December, was pretty sour. The thought of fighting for a parking space at the mall, and rushing around trying to find whatever I needed to complete my checklist of presents, conflicted with what I felt Christmas was all about. I'd recently read what Mary Baker Eddy wrote about Christmas (see this Sentinel, p. 22). The qualities she mentioned such as quietude, humility, and charity really stood out to me. I longed to experience more of these virtues than in previous years, which had been filled mostly with hustle and bustle.

However, instead of practicing more humility and charity, I began to do just the opposite. I spent the weeks leading up to Christmas feeling agitated and trying to convince my family that we should give up our old seasonal traditions, including giving gifts. I thought that if we could reinvent the way we celebrated Christmas outwardly, a more peaceful, spiritualized holiday would be sure to follow. Little did I realize that my reactionary behavior was far from Christ-like, and that what I actually needed was to embrace those qualities I felt were missing by expressing them in my own attitude and actions.