Sunday, December 10, 2006

How do You feel about the commercialization of Your holidays? Do you think we've lost the true meaning?

Scribe: God, Lisa asks "How do You feel about the commercialization of Your holidays (ie. Christmas, Easter)? Do You think we've lost the true meaning?"

God: JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS. JINGLE ALL THE WAY...

Scribe: Great, more singing.

God: GOD SINGS TO YOU AND YOU'RE COMPLAINING?

Scribe: Sorry, God. Sing away.

God: I'M NOT IN THE MOOD ANYMORE.

Scribe: Bummer. So how about that question?

God: MY ANSWER IS COMPLICATED.

Scribe: Big surprise.

God: I TRY TO FIND THE POSITIVE IN MOST THINGS SO SUCH COMMERCIALIZATION DOESN'T BOTHER ME MUCH. HOWEVER, WHEN SOMEONE CARES MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GETTING FOR CHRISTMAS OR HANUKAH, FOR EXAMPLE, THAN THE SENTIMENT THAT WENT INTO THE GIFT-GIVING, THAT GIVES ME PAUSE.

Scribe: But gifts are so much fun.

God: SURE THEY ARE. AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF HOLIDAYS SOMETIMES MAKES PEOPLE THINK ABOUT PEOPLE THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE THINK ABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR.

Scribe: Not sure I follow you.

God: IF A HOLIDAY WERE PURELY RELIGIOUS, YOU WOULD GO TO CHURCH, TEMPLE A MOSQUE OR WHATEVER YOUR PRAYING PLACE OF CHOICE WAS AND POSSIBLY REFLECT ON WHAT THE HOLIDAY MEANS TO YOU. THE CUSTOM OF GIFT-GIVING MAKES PEOPLE LOOK OUTSIDE OF THEMSELVES AND CONSIDER WHICH PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES ARE DESERVING OF BEING REMEMBER WITH A GIFT OR A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

Scribe: Ahh.

God: MOST HOLIDAYS ARE AT THEIR MOST BASIC ABOUT CELEBRATING LIFE AND BEING THE BEST PERSON YOU CAN BE. WHEN YOU THINK OF OTHERS BESIDES YOURSELF, I'M PLEASED AT THE OUTCOME. SO IF COMMERCIALIZATION GETS YOU THERE, I'M ALL FOR IT.

Scribe: And as for the part about losing the meaning?

God: THOSE FOR WHOM THE MEANING WILL HOLD SIGNIFICANCE RECALL THE MEANING EACH TIME THE HOLIDAY ROLLS AROUND. FOR MANY, NO MATTER WHAT IS SAID OR DONE, THE TRUE MEANING OF A GIVEN HOLIDAY WOULDN'T EVEN SHOW UP ON THEIR RADAR. IF COMMERCIALIZATION BRINGS THEM TO A PLACE OF SHARING KINDNESS AND GOODWILL TOWARD ANOTHER PERSON, I THINK THE MEANING IS STILL THERE, JUST VIEWED THROUGH A FILTER.

Scribe: Are you getting me something for the holidays?

God: I HAVEN'T GIVEN YOU ENOUGH?

Scribe: I see your point. Just asking.

God: HOW ABOUT IF I TRY FOR A LITTLE SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE?

Scribe: You the man!

2 Comments:

Blogger Lisa said...

Thanks Scribe! And thank you God! Might I have a little snow this Christmas too?

12/10/2006 11:52 AM  
Blogger Patricia Burroughs aka Pooks said...

Dear God,

Do you get royalties from The Passion of the Christ and The Nativity Story and such, and do the studios tithe?

Sincerely,
Pooks

12/11/2006 10:25 PM  

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