Decorating Early: A Debate or an Opportunity?
For some reason I feel like the debate on when
to decorate for Christmas has been bigger and louder this year
than ever before. It has been all over Facebook, I heard a debate about it
on the radio, and it was even talked about on the news! People seem very
opinionated about whether or not you decorate for Christmas on November 1 or
after Thanksgiving.
The fear of
decorating too early is that either Thanksgiving will get forgotten or that people
will get tired of Christmas before December even starts. Those that want to
decorate early say they have waited as long as they can and they love Christmas so
much that they want a little more of it.
My thought
is: Why not start early? And here is why:
Christmas is
the one time of the year where I feel like Christians get a free pass to be a
little extra outspoken about being a Christian. Everywhere you look, Christ is
being celebrated even if it is unintentional. You can say Christmas has become
too commercialize and Christ has been taken out of Christmas - and to an extent
I would agree. But can you think of any other time where you can hear songs
about Jesus on regular radio stations or hear the Christmas story read in
popular movies on TV?
Let me give
you an example, just in case you aren’t fully in agreement yet. Last November a
new Grinch movie was released in theaters. Simply titled The Grinch, this new animated version of the
story explored the story in a new way. In this movie, the people in Whoville
really wanted the Grinch to be a part of Christmas. He wan’t forgotten and he
didn’t strike fear, but instead he stole Christmas because he was annoyed that
the Whos wanted him to love Christmas. And… well you know how the rest of the
story goes.
Within this
movie there is this hilarious scene where The Grinch and his trusty dog Max
must venture off Mount Crumpet into Whoville to go to the grocery store. At
every moment The Grinch is trying to avoid the Christmas spirit, and ends up
finding himself being chased around the town by some rather aggressive
carolers. And do you know what song these carolers are sining? “God Rest Ye Merry
Gentleman.”
There in the
middle of an Illumination movie is a group of carolers singing “Remember
Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day.” Yes, I know it’s a silly movie
and most people were probably laughing at the Grinch being chased around instead
of thinking about Jesus, but do you see what I mean? During Christmas the world
gives Christians a free pass and people are less on guard when it comes to
hearing about Jesus.
So what does
any of this have to do with decorating November 1? Well, you can wait until
after Thanksgiving if you want and I will respect your decision. But I want to
give all of you your free pass to decorate early. But don’t just decorate early
because you can, do so with the intention of sharing the love of Jesus.
It’s ok if
you still want to watch Home Alone, write letters to Santa, and sing “Let it
Snow,” but as you are stringing lights on your tree begin thinking of ways to
show a little more love than usual. Use your Christmas spirit as your launching
point for loving others as Jesus has called all Christians to do.
Get your
co-worker a Christmas gift, send your neighbors Christmas cards, play your
Christmas music as much as you want, read the Nativity story, or invite someone
to a Christmas Eve service at church. Don’t let Christmas go by without using
your free pass to share with someone about Jesus, wether that is with word or
with deed.
At the end
of the new Grinch movie, The Grinch says this to Cindy-Lou Who’s mom, “Your
daughter’s kindness changed my life.” To which she replies without much
surprise, “That’s my little girl!” Be the person this Christmas who’s kindness
can lead other’s to Christ. And if that has to start with you putting your tree
up tonight, then what are you waiting for?
an Associate Pastor at
Generations of Grace in
Lebanon, TN
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