‘Deconstructing Christmas’

In an essay posted at Emergent Village, Mark Douglass, co-leader of the Wilderness Way Community, considers which Christmas elements are worth keeping, and which need to be ‘tossed’:

“Keep: Songs and Traditions from Around the World — again, the transcultural/contextual paradox of Christ’s birth invites a wealth of music and celebration to connect us with the world’s celebration of Christ …
 
Toss: Material Gifts — We live in a time of year-round excess that needs a strong witness to restraint. What better witness than turning Christmas into a season of charitable giving and gifts of time, presence, and community rather than another opportunity for material excess?”

Read the whole thing.