Christmas is the season of consumerism, but it is meant to be a season of waging peace. So I propose that the church rebel, in small and big ways, in order to seek peace this Christmas.
Two little ways to wage peace this Christmas:
1. Buy Fair Trade.
2. Give money. Every year after we give a fair amount of gifts (many of which will collect dust) to all of my dear family members, we return to our favorite Christmas catalogs and give gifts to people we don’t know in honor of our family members. So each year the stockings contain a little note from us of what my family gave to whom. A goat to a family in India (we usually draw or print out a picture of a goat with a Santa hat and put it in the stocking), money to aid in human-trafficking investigations, or (for my sister who loves books) books to help rural schools in developing countries.
If you haven’t finished your shopping (or even if you have), let me recommend giving in this way. Give tidings of peace this Christmas!
In the past we have given to Heifer, IJM, and Samaritan’s Purse. But I found out that Food for the Hungry also has a gift catalog, so check that out.
Peace.
Tags: charity, Christianity, Christmas, consumerism, ethics, gift-giving, giving, social action
December 23, 2007 at 5:19 am
Great list!