Thursday, October 25, 2012

It's Only Two Months Away...

Once again a large gap of time has occurred between my blog posts.  While it happens with some frequency (OK, a lot of frequency), it is not something I do intentionally.  In many ways, this phenomenon is similar to a compound issue we all face in our lives.  I.e., time continues to march on and if we are not intentional we may look around at our present circumstances (now or at some point in the future) with bewilderment wondering how we got "here".    

To illustrate what I mean, as of today we are two months away from Christmas Day.  I have heard many statements and seen many Facebook posts wondering where all the time has gone.  I too can be amazed at how quickly time passes.

As we know, shortly after Christmas Day is New Year's Day, and for some the accompanying New Year Resolutions.  How did those pan out for you this year?  I hope well, if you made any.  Yet to stick to a Resolution one needs to be both intentional and persistent.  If one is not, they will continue to be shaped by whatever they were trying to overcome that led them to make the Resolution in the first place (e.g., not content with their "here" - present circumstances - and therefore a desire to change it).

So, what does inconsistent blog postings and "Christmas" quickly approaching have to do with each other?  Simply stated, if you are not intentional, you will be shaped by whatever is around you.  This "whatever" can be political ideologies, ways of viewing finances, ways of viewing other people, and a variety of other things.  This does not mean one will automatically be just like their surrounding environment.  Yet if one is not, some intentional decisions were made.  For the follower of Jesus it is sufficient to sum up these "shaping things" (the "whatever" above) as the world.  And here lies a subtle, and deadly, danger...  

With "Christmas" bearing down on us, it is alarming how shaped by the world many of us are when it comes to what we expect, or think of, when it comes to "Christmas".  In light of this, I will be posting some blogs (via editing or re-posting previous ones) dealing with Advent and the Christmas Season.

Why am I doing this?  Again, if we are not intentional we will be shaped by the dominant voices around us.  In this case, how culture views "Christmas".

Why am I doing this two months before Christmas Day?  For the follower of Jesus, the importance of "Christmas" starts with the anticipation of Advent.

My hope is this can be an assistance for us to consider a broader view of "Christmas" and focus on its implications.  After all, if Christmas Day is true, it impacts everything.