Still Yearning for Simplicity

So we've got a stomach virus, which as everyone knows, is pure bliss. So far (knock on wood, praise Jesus, please keep praying) only J and I have had it, and it's not nearly the trainwreck of a bug that we had 2 years ago, which kept our little family crippled for the better part of a week. (I was just looking over some old blog posts to refresh my memory, and apparently the boys were puking for 4 days. FOUR DAYS. Isn't that awful? How did I retain my sanity?)

I need to post here, because that just needs to happen, I need to keep writing, etc., but I can't come up with anything new or creative because my insides still feel a might squeebly. I am happily enjoying my first cup of coffee in a couple days, but still. Squeebly. So instead of doing anything new, I thought I'd re-post (as I did last year, too) a favorite post of my invention from two years ago. Who knows, this might just become tradition each year.

Preamble to repost: Things have changed since this original post. We have been Orthodox Christians for a year and a half, and I feel like we have achieved the simplistic celebration of Christ's birth, coupled with awed, down-on-your-knees worship, for which I was so longing two years ago. We, as a family, are so proudly out-of-the-loop as far as commercialism goes that my children have only the vaguest grasp of who Santa is and what he does. Don't get me wrong: I have nothing against Santa. (Saint Nicholas, you guys! He's pretty important in our church.) Santa as gift-giver, innocent childhood myth--that's fine. But Santa as hoopla, presents for me-me-me, let's go buy as much s*** as we can on Black Friday because clearly that's what it's about, no. I have no stomach for that. I think that version of Christmas is so warped as to be sinful.

(Note: The Professor was telling me about a news story on NPR about the economy that he heard. They interviewed a lady who had been laid off and who was supporting her family with unemployment benefits. At the time of the interview, she had just finished buying $500 worth of Christmas presents for her kids (FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS, OH MY GOODNESS) on Black Friday because she felt like it was her "duty" to help out the economy. Also, she didn't want her kids' Christmas to suffer. Oh, give me a break.)

(I realize I'm on my soapbox here, and even perhaps patting myself on the back a little. Don't worry, I'll fall off that box soon enough. It always happens.)

Anyway, the post. It can be found in its original state here. I have cut the introduction out in this reproduction just for clarity. (Although, to be fair, Baby C's fabulous red bows are a thing of outstanding blogging importance.) I hope you enjoy:

Church this morning was a little... different. It was the adult Christmas musical, which is evidently a big deal for our church. Not only was it performed as the morning worship today, but it was also performed Saturday night and tonight (Sunday) for the public at an admission cost. Whoa! It was a pretty big production that the performers had obviously put a lot of hard work and time into. The orchestra and choir were great, and the people participating were having a great time. In addition, the two evening performances evidently had a very outreach-centered approach, as the organizers understood community members were more likely to come to those shows versus the Sunday morning performance. All of this I could appreciate. What I couldn't appreciate was the sheer magnitude of it all. When did Christmas become such a production?

I understand that we have a large church (1,000+, from what I understand) and that, more than likely, things like the adult Christmas musical are Sacred Cows Which Must Not Be Touched, so probably my opinion on the matter won't turn the tide. But it truly was over-the-top and, more annoyingly, sort of repetitive. When the flyer said "live nativity," I didn't realize this meant no less than three donkeys, several sheep, a couple lambs, and two CAMELS. Yes, camels. (Where in the heck do you get camels in the middle of December in the middle of Illinois?) The original, gospel-themed compositions were very repetitive, and I had a hard time staying interested when we weren't singing the traditional Advent hymns and carols. Toward the end of a particularly emotional piece, "Joseph" held "Baby Jesus" over his head in a move that looked suspiciously like it had been copied out of The Lion King, and streamers popped out of mini cannons to inform us when the climax had been reached.

Just slightly over-the-top.

I'm sorry. I'm going to stop complaining. A lot of good, Christian people put a lot of time and effort into this musical. I don't feel like I'm normally so super critical. I just long for simplicity, especially now, especially at Christmas, especially with children of my own. I get sick of the hype, the noise, the glittery, false luster that often serves, even unknowingly, to distract us from the true meaning, that being Jesus Christ's advent here on earth. Why is it so hard for us to get excited about that one simple fact? Why do we have to hide the baby and His incredible story behind popping streamers and loud productions? It hit me this morning, as I was gazing at the images of the Holy Family being broadcast from the large projectors (heaven forbid we not have visual stimulation), how truly incredible the whole story really is.

God came to earth in frail human form!

Jesus was born to a virgin! That's impossible!

She gave birth in a stable!

SHE GAVE BIRTH IN A STABLE! Folks, I have given birth, and this fact is incredible in and of itself.

They laid him in a manger! Presumably there was hay involved!

Angels from heaven appeared and sang the good news!

Shepherds came to honor and worship this baby!

A baby! They came to see a baby! Jesus was a baby!

Three mysterious men traveled from a distant land to visit the baby because they read the tidings in the stars!

Mary, Joseph, and their baby had to flee from an enraged king who slaughtered thousands in his attempts to kill Jesus!

This is all so incredible! Without such an example, these kind of circumstances would be beyond the workings of our limited imaginations. Why can't we see this? Why do we have to surround these astounding truths, so incredible that they seem absurd when I write them out and actually give them meaningful thought, with any sort of production? It's as if we think Jesus can't stand on His own, can't get His point across by Himself, needs our help to seem cool.

I'm sorry, folks, but Jesus' birth and the circumstances surrounding it are pretty dang cool without our help. Maybe I sound like a crusty, embittered old man, but this is truly how I feel. This is truly how I want to live: without the hype, without the glitter, shouting these simple, astounding truths for all of us, who are so dependent on hype, to hear and once again believe.