Opinion: World needs Christmas, even if commercialized

Christmas messages to friends seem to be the right thing. During these many years, I feel a friendship with those who read this column.

A component of Christmas that no modern-day Scrooge can “bah-humbug” away is the spreading of cheer between men and women of good will.

Whatever religion one might follow, or with no religion at all, sharing good wishes can’t possibly infringe on the basic rights of anyone. Thus, I will add my small voice to the chorus of other well-wishers you may encounter.

The world desperately needs Christmas. We can immerse ourselves into so many busy chores and activities that we can lose sight of the joys of living.

When we discover we are chained to appointment calendars, and home has become a place to change clothes before rushing off to the next crucial conference, it is time for something to slow us down. Thankfully, there is Christmas.

The peace and good will toward others that oozes from Christmas – not the shopping experiences – can put us in the true Christmas spirit. We need Christmas.

Christmas can be a cleansing time for the world. For a few brief moments, humankind can slow down, savor life and forget the turmoil in the world, replacing it with the majestic, cleansing sensation that is peace.

Christmas is indeed over-commercialized. Although more so today, it has been commercialized for all of my lifetime.

Shopping and planning Christmas events may cause some to dread the coming of the season. I understand these feelings.

Today, the Christmas shopping rush is much greater than just a few years ago. This is so because the population is larger, we have more cars, new roads, bigger and better stores, more merchandise, greater demand created by a TV-cyberspace generated mass media the size and scope of which was unheard of 50 years ago.

The proliferation of credit cards permits more gifts bought on credit than a scant few years ago. When most of Christmas gift buying was cash and carry, fewer gigantic piles of presents were under the trees.

As I recall, the most extravagant Christmas gift I received as a child was a new bicycle. I didn’t expect much else that Christmas.

I would be the first in line to welcome back the less hectic shopping binges of yesterday. But the genie is out of the bottle. Christmas shopping has become a permanent component of the national economy; the mass-marketed Christmas will only grow larger.

The over-commercialized holiday doesn’t diminish the great need the world has for Christmas. The poor have always been with us; but their ranks are growing. Today’s high-tech supercharged economy has created educational job requirements that exclude many untrained people.

Throughout the year, an untold number of organizations and churches work daily to help as many as possible with food, shelter, clothing and medical care. More is always needed.

Christmas shines a special light on the needs of our neighbors. It is a time when men and women of good will do even more for the less fortunate.

The good done in the spirit of Christmas is reason enough to be thankful that there is a Christmas. If only the spirit could remain in place all year.

Rusty Saber readers all, I wish you a merry Christmas!

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.[[In-content Ad]]