Article December 24, 1984 Issue

Christmas abundance

JAMES LAWRENCE WRIGHT

Throughout the year, but most particularly at the Christmas season, it's helpful to consider the following statement by the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy: "Spirituality lays open siege to materialism. On which side are we fighting?"^{Science and Health, p. 216.}

For many years I found the Christmas season to be anything but one of joy and good cheer. The demands, pressures, and schedules of the month before Christmas seemed to stand in radical contrast to the peace and dominion reflected in the Bethlehem birth of Christ Jesus. In a world that seemed more receptive to radio commercials than angelic messages, where duty-givings seemed more important than love-givings, and where long lines encouraged anything but "on earth peace, good will toward men,"^{Luke 2:14.} I began to dread the coming of the Christmas month.

Dominion over this situation came as I realized that my obsession with fending off the commercialism associated with the holiday season was preventing me from cherishing the spiritual, Christly qualities upon which Christmas is really based. In prayer it is vitally important to affirm the glorious truths of God's perfect spiritual creation, which the nativity of Christ Jesus heralds. It is also right to deny reality to any suggestion of imperfection in God's man or His universe. But an obsessive emphasis on denying error, or evil, deprives us of the inspiration that is necessary to healing. I saw that instead of a time for condemnation of others, the holiday season was a time for true, unselfed giving, for increased consecration, for a higher expression of joy. It was a time to celebrate the abundance of spiritual good.

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