December 2018


Its that time of year again! You know the one. When special music, decorations, and good food make you smile. When good deeds are done, and cheer is in the air. Christmas, the season of giving. This is a favorite time of year for most people. Many enjoy giving and especially getting presents. Gift giving makes it easy to buy too much and then a little more. There are plenty of sales in the stores and online. A good deal is hard to pass up. But it is time to check our habits.

Some facts1:

  1. Americans trash 25% more waste during the holiday season (Thanksgiving to New Year) than any other time of year totaling 25 million tons of garbage.
  2. The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high.
  3. If each family in America wrapped just 3 presents in re-used material it would safe enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.
Those are some baffling numbers. It is easy to get carried away in the decorating, gift giving, and card sending. But Christians have long fretted about the materialism that surrounds the holiday season in recent generations. Consumerism has made it easy for us to get caught up in the accoutrements of Christmas while neglecting the aspect of it. Jesus was born in humble circumstances that contrast astoundingly with the excess of our modern celebration of his advent.

Please understand, I am in favor of celebrating the birth of our Savior. Jesus came and took on himself the poor, wretched condition of sin in order to offer us the riches of heaven. We should celebrate his birth as a foreshadow of that heavenly wealth with decorations and gift giving. But we also need to consider how our celebrations impact the earth God has given us to care for. Celebration is good, unbridled waste is not. Profligate waste is unbecoming of a Christian who professes to follow a man that had no place to lay his head.

So, what are some ways that you can celebrate Christ this Christmas in a way that honors him? One of the best things you can do is give gifts that people want. Avoid giving gifts you’re pretty sure will not be wanted. Choose gifts that will last. For those people that are hard to pick gifts for try a gift card, their favorite food item, or a favor coupon. Alternatively, give gifts that honor a person and help the needy such as a charitable donation in someone’s name.

Decorate your home with reusable adornments. Look for decorations made with recycled material. L.E.D. lights use much less electricity than incandescent. If you have kids or grandkids, make some decorations with recycled scraps such as paper chains. Decorate with nature. Natural materials like wood, glass, and live plants are preferable to plastic. Choose a live Christmas tree as these are usually more environmentally friendly than artificial. Choose to avoid single use disposables whenever possible. Use those beautiful dishes you paid so much for rather than flimsy paper. Wrap gifts in decorative boxes and bags that can be reused. Consider using fabric for a classy look or recycled newspaper for a simple elegant look.

Most importantly, slow down. Make this Christmas about connecting with God. Embrace the spirit of the season and revel in the joy of the birth of our Savior. Make this Christmas simple. Make it about Jesus, not about material things or a hectic schedule. Determine to connect with others. Talk to people in the checkout line, at work, at social gatherings. Discuss the reason for the season. Let Jesus be the gift you give this year. That would be the greenest thing you could do this Christmas.



Written by David F. Garner

Sources


1. “Frequently Asked Questions: Holiday Waste Prevention,” Standford University online, accessed December 11, 2018, https://lbre.stanford.edu/pssistanford-recycling/frequently-asked-questions/frequently-asked-questions-holiday-waste-prevention.





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