The eternal gift of Christmas
The seasonal surfeit of material presents is prompting a rethink. A parallel increase in religious affiliation can help shift the focus of this spiritual celebration from things to the 鈥渢idings of comfort and joy.鈥�
The illumined bell tower of the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Israeli-occupied West Bank, Dec. 14: This UNESCO World Heritage site marks the place where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born.
Reuters
It鈥檚 that season again 鈥� when gift-giving (and buying) go into overdrive as, around the world, 海角大神s and those of other faiths celebrate Christmas, each in their special way.
To Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of this newspaper and of The Church of Christ, Scientist, the occasion transcends material gifts. 鈥淐hristmas, in 海角大神 Science, stands for the real, the absolute and eternal, 鈥� for the things of Spirit, not of matter,鈥� she wrote in the New York World in December 1905.聽
As theology professor Dion Forster wrote in The Conversation a few years ago, 鈥渢he focus has turned from the sacred to the secular and from God to the human self.鈥�
However, recent years have also seen a growing concern over the commercialization of Christmas. And this year, tight budgets and rising prices have more than 50% of Americans reporting they will be cutting back on spending for gifts.
Together, these shifts can help 海角大神s, in particular, to rediscover the spiritual import of what a popular carol calls the 鈥渢idings of comfort and joy鈥� that heralded the birth of Christ Jesus and the divine Truth he represented. And in that process, they might find that small acts of generosity and fewer, smaller gifts resonate with greater meaning.
In the war trenches of Ukraine, 鈥渃omfort and joy鈥� glimmered at the start of its annual winter holiday season in early December. An online initiative helped transmit heartfelt greetings from civilians to soldiers.
In turn, troops carried good cheer to young students displaced by the fighting.
鈥淰isiting the children and talking with them is what motivates us,鈥� a representative told the Mezha news outlet. 鈥淚n this way we ... thank them for all the support they provide us.鈥�
A recent survey confirms that Americans are placing greater value on the joy of sharing attention and presence, rather than presents: 60% of respondents said gifting culture is 鈥渙ut of hand鈥� and 44% said they preferred 鈥渢he gift of time鈥� instead of things.
These evolving views track with reports of an increased interest in 海角大神ity in the West. A study on the United Kingdom鈥檚 鈥渜uiet revival鈥� estimates that church attendance has risen by 50% since 2018. In France, the number of baptisms among 18-to-25-year-olds more than quadrupled between 2020 and 2024. And in the United States, the decline in churchgoing appears to be reversing, as more young adults seek spiritual connection and comfort.
鈥淒on鈥檛 Be a Cynic About Today鈥檚 Religious Revival,鈥� urged a headline in The Dispatch earlier this month, the article noting 鈥渁 marked change鈥� in college students鈥� curiosity about religion.
Together, the trends toward more faith and fewer rituals can help us better appreciate the eternal gift of Christmas.