Celebrating Radical Love

I wrote this last year for a newsletter at Blackhawk about Advent Conspiracy. As it's that time of year again, I thought I'd share it again.

From eggnog and Frosty the Snowman to mistletoe and stockings, the Christmas traditions in our culture are endless. My family was no different. Every Thanksgiving weekend we bundled up and headed out to the Christmas tree farm. After incessant bickering, and at least one unhappy child, we cut down our less-than-perfect five-dollar tree. A week later we decorated the tree, with a soft instrumental version of Silent Night playing in the background – my sister and I argued about whose tin foil star was better and should go on top of the tree.

With the star on the tree it was time to get out the nativity set. Our set contained an extra character – our Middle-eastern Jesus had a Scandinavian twin. My parents had gotten so frustrated with the fighting over Jesus that they bought a second. Unfortunately, that caused us to argue over whose Jesus was in the nativity scene on Christmas morning (which, in the excitement of stockings and presents was always forgotten).

Sound familiar? Christmas can become full of traditions that often cause tension and stress. We’ve turned Jesus’ birth into an excuse to buy more stuff to fulfill our own desires rather than an opportunity to celebrate the significance of His coming to earth. Advent is a time of preparation for the Messiah’s coming. Jesus came to give Himself. He came to establish the Kingdom of God, on earth. Should we not do the same?

Last year Blackhawk participate in the Advent Conspiracy, a grassroots movement involving more than 1,000 churches in 17 countries that believe Christmas can still change the world. Advent Conspiracy invites people to celebrate what Gad has done and is doing by spending less, giving more, worshiping fully, and loving all.

When we learned that Americans spend $450 billion on Christmas every year and that the estimated cost to make clean water available to everyone in the world is 10 $billion, my family didn’t hesitate to participate. We took this challenge seriously. While Christmases full of arguing thankfully ended years ago, there was still a different feel in the air last year. Crammed into my sister’s and brother-in-law’s tiny apartment in Los Angeles we opened our gifts, all homemade. We felt incredible love and gratitude that we felt as we opened the gifts, created with hours of energy and thought. Moreover, knowing that the money we didn’t spend on gifts was providing clean water for people who don’t have access to it gave us inexplicable joy. It was a joy that only comes from actually doing what God has called us to do. It’s what Jesus came to earth to start, and we are called to continue until His Second Coming. Last Christmas, my family played a part in establishing the Kingdom of God through his radical love. That’s cause for celebration. In Mike Erre’s book, Jesus of Suburbia, he summarizes this well:

“Jesus came to do away with the meaningless ritual and empty religion of the day and to call people into relationship with Himself. He came to turn us not into religious people but into joyful and holy people, abandoned to Him so as to do His work on earth. He came to turn us into people who know how to love and celebrate.”

So as we begin the Advent season this year, let’s not be controlled by the cultural traditions and demands of an “American Christmas.” Instead, let’s show the world what Christmas is really about as we share and celebrate Christ’s radical love.