(In the spirit of “going green” this Christmas, parts of this reflection have been constructed from recycled material)
The radio plays as we whiz through the thousands of cars in the parking lot, like vultures looking for an open space… “Away in a manger, no crib for his bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.” We drive home flustered, past little glowing, plastic nativity scenes of a man and a woman kneeling in the snow, gazing down at a little plastic Child. A whole plastic, glowing mob of souls gathers round the Babe; kings and shepherds, the rich and the poor (and occasionally a big plastic Snowman or the Grinch, which is a whole other story).
What do we make of all this?
I was out shopping last year, trying to stay focused, trying to recall what we are moving towards in these next couple of days. Standing in a massive line at Borders, with Mr. Cranky Pants on his cell phone behind me, a youth in angst blurted “Merry (expletive) Christmas” to my left, as only a youth in angst can do. I prayed for a great awakening. I prayed the whole glitzy, glamourous scene would vanish, roll back like a stage curtain, and we would all find ourselves kneeling in that cold cave in that backwater town of Bethlehem. Unplugged, unknown, and alone… looking down at a very poor couple who had to find a place to rest their newborn baby… and the only “space” they could find was a feeding trough for animals in a stable. Scandalous.
We’re told to be good consumers, to boost this failing economy. But this consumption of things will no more help our country than it will satisfy our souls. Someone else has come with a better plan for our salvation. He lays in a manger (the word means “to eat”) and he is born in Bethlehem, which means literally “house of bread.” And he looks at us all, racing about stuffing our stockings and stuffing our trunks with things. And he says, “Take and eat, take and drink; this is my Body, given up for you.”
We are invited to consume, to eat and by eating become one with the Love that has become our Food. This is the Love that truly satisfies! This is the Feast of Christmas!