Why not just enjoy the build up to Christmas?
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT: By the Rev David Macartney, North Coast Parish, Church of Scotland
Halloween and Bonfire Night have been and gone. We are now in that small period of calm just before the Christmas season starts. Of course, the mince pies and seasonal chocolates started appearing on the shelves at the end of September in some shops, and like many others I usually find it easy to moan about materialism and greed and the drive to encourage people to spend money they don't have on things they don't need.
This year, however, I have found myself smiling at the snow-covered boxes that will be out of date before Christmas Day.
I know people who are already talking about taking their decorations out of storage, and I see the Facebook posts telling me there are only so many days until Christmas – and I find myself thinking that perhaps a bit of festive cheer is just what’s needed.
This pandemic has and still is impacting families across the globe. There has been so much sadness and so much loss and we will never truly go back to the normal that everyone keeps talking about, so why not enjoy the little things?
Christ’s coming was a gift to all – it brought hope, and joy, and love, and the promise of peace. People were talking about it long before it happened in the Bible. So sing carols and Christmas songs, buy mince pies and cakes if you want to, get out the tinsel, be happy and take joy in the things you can. You’ve earned it.
