Ready for Christmas?

“Are you ready for Christmas?”
That’s the question I keep hearing from people. By “ready” they mean, have I done all my shopping. Have I spent my money, marked off my list, wrapped my gifts? I can’t blame them really. This is after all the consumer-driven, materialistic society in which we live. Sure, those of us who are Christians will attend services, we’ll sing, we’ll proclaim the “reason for the season,” but we’ll end up askers of the same two questions:
“Are you ready for Christmas?” and “What did you get for Christmas?” This is the end result of our celebrations.

This year, I can’t seem to find the motivation to participate in the mass commercialism of Christmas. Maybe it’s the fact that I don’t like shopping, or crowds. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m trying to learn to budget my money better. Maybe it’s just rebellion against the consumer mentality. Or maybe… maybe it’s perspective. I can’t think of Christmas, or any other holiday, without thinking about my brothers who sit in prison. My brothers, who can’t receive gifts, and who would probably trade them anyway for the opportunity to experience what most of us will take for granted this Christmas- a sense of home, being surrounded by family, good food, feeling the embrace of someone who loves us. I wonder if my brothers have forgotten what it feels like to have someone hug them. Maybe it’s easier for them to not think about such things, and in forgetting, it lessens the pain of being without it. I wonder how many times I will half-heartedly hug someone this Christmas, or how many times I will take for granted the experience of being with those I love. I wonder how much I will fail to love those around me. Love is, after all, what we ultimately got for Christmas. How many of us will actually be “ready” for it?