Christmas Rant, 2013

And so it's Christmastime. The Holidays. A time of Season's Greetings.

But it isn't very merry or happy and I sure don't feel like greeting anyone. It's hard to get into the idea of "Silent Night" with the constant din of the season ringing in my ears.

For me it isn't the "commercialization" of the season, per se. Yes, it was quite depressing that all the major retail centers were in full Christmas mode before they even had all the excess Halloween candy on the discount racks. But in reality, I don't frequent such places enough to cause such malaise.

I've touched on part of the cause here before. But to be honest, our December problem is not getting better.

So, I'm going to emit a few thoughts, to let off some of the pressure and see if it gets me into the spirit.

Santa Claus. Seriously? What race is the Easter Bunny? The Tooth Fairy? The Great Pumpkin? St. Nicholas (the original 3rd & 4th century saint) was Greek and/or Turkish. The guy in the red suit in America has influences that are, shall we say, "non-Mediterranean". He has typically been portrayed as white due to the cultural norms of the time. If I go in a mall and I see Santa that is Black, White, Greek, Native American or Filipino, I'm not going to freak out. I promise that I'm going to be a lot more disturbed by being in a mall at Christmastime than I will be at what color Santa Claus is.

Happy Holidays. Seriously. There's a lot of them this time of year. In fact, between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day there are between four and 10 feasts, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and 4 Advent Sundays - depending on which Christian liturgical calendar you follow. There is also usually Hanukkah - which isn't Christian but is important to Judaism, which is pivotal to the understanding of Christianity and since Christmas celebrates the birth of an observer of Hanukkah (John 10:22-23), I think it's ok to include it. And while I don't celebrate Kwanzaa myself, I'm not offended by those that do and if someone were to politely wish me a "Happy Kwanzaa" I wouldn't be offended. I'd be happy that someone thought enough to say something nice to me instead of many of the other things I get called or told.

Fighting over what displays are and are not allowed in town. How old are you? Are you really that offended that something you do not believe in is on display in the town square? Regardless of how you identify Him, Jesus Christ is world renowned as a teacher, spiritual leader, bringer of peace and prophet that compelled people to love one another. Are you really offended by that? If so, don't live in the Bible Belt where people parade Him around like a trophy.

Are you offended that He isn't being paraded around enough? What personal insecurity might be causing that? Jesus was born in a stable and 2000 years later is still common in conversation and remains one of the most celebrated people ever. I don't think He's offended by not being displayed outside the courthouse. He has a way of getting into the places He wants to be (John 20:19)

This is a really long way around to say I have a lot of fatigue related to the bickering and arguing that accompanies this time of the year.

My request for this Christmas is just that we be a little more kind, a little more polite and a little more accommodating to each other. If someone bids you a polite greeting that you might not have chosen, be polite with your response and go on about your way.

In short, be merry, be happy, be whatever one you choose. But if you can't be polite, please be quiet.

A Star on the Rise...Again, Again.

As Thanksgiving approaches I feel it is appropriate to mention how very thankful I am for the many stories I have heard about people, places, traditions, ideas, etc that have been preserved or restored. History is a major driving force behind this blog and when history is well, I am happy. That being said, let's talk about one story I'm thankful for.

Last month I posted an article about the efforts of a group working to preserve a beloved tradition in their community (http://allthebiscuitsingeorgia.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-star-on-riseagain.html) 

I'd like to revisit that story for an update. 

The star is built. In fact, even as I sit listening to the wind rustling the trees on this brisk Georgia morning, the star is being hoisted into its perch to make sure everything is a go for next Saturday's lighting ceremony. 

The new star is exactly that. Made from lighter materials the new star is a foot taller, a foot wider and 120 pounds lighter than its forefather.  The 160 electric lights are energy-efficient LED bulbs that use a fraction of the power without dimming the glow.

So here's the festivities:

I have watched this happen as an outsider. My connections to Lindale lie in the past. The nostalgia and my love of history and tradition keep me connected to this endeavor. Compared to Restoration Lindale, I'm an outsider looking in. That being said, I am grateful to see the way the community has rallied around this effort. The bulbs sold out almost immediately. The involvement of schools, churches, businesses and individuals shows how important it is to the community that a star shines between the stacks this Christmas.

And so today the star will be hoisted by the sons, grandsons and great-grandsons of the men that hoisted it years ago.  Times are similar. The economy is down. People are out of work. Nothing seems to be changing that. As an outsider looking in, I can tell you that Lindale has seen better days. 

But the same outsider has seen the work that has been done throughout the community. On top of all the labor, toil and sweat, the beacon of hope and community is rising from the rubble. There's not one bale of cotton in Lindale but there is hope and love of community. Yes, Lindale has seen better days. But now it has seen worse and I can't help but believe that even better days lie ahead.

Need a Lift?

So I'm pondering ideas about current events the other day. Thinking about the role of government and the intent of the founders and then, as could only happen in my brain, I get a vision of the ultimate in absurdity - and the perfect analogy for what is going on in Washington.

My first thought was that it was too absurd to be true. Second thought was "there's too many rednecks in this world for it to not be true."

So I Googled it. Voila, there it was.

A Corvette tow truck. Car. Whatever.

Now, I don't know who took this photo. I have no idea who made or owns this machine. 

Two things I do know:

1) It's amazing.

2) There's no way on God's green Earth I'll ever let that thing tow anything I own.

But there it is, the perfect analogy for our current federal government. Sleek, stylish, designed for speed, the envy of the world....harnessed to perform powerful tasks it was never intended or designed to do  and despite the impressive appearance, totally incapable of meeting the new expectations.

The Founding Fathers designed our central government to be a minimal force in our lives. They maintained state sovereignty because America was never intended to be a monolith. Our government was designed small for a reason...King George III. They designed a Corvette. 

Now we expect a government that was basically designed to keep us from killing and stealing from each other and protect us from foreign attacks to provide us with every necessity and luxury you can imagine. "Government must haul it all!" We demand a tow truck!

So we strap a steel tow lift to the fiberglass body of a sports car. Now we are ready to tow a Peterbilt.

Some observations:

1) The engine and transmission in a sports car are not made for towing. 

2) A Corvette can't steer without its front wheels on the ground.

3) The frame and body of a Corvette are doing good to hold themselves together without the added load of the vehicle being towed.

Our government is not made to provide welfare, universal medical insurance, comprehensive environmental regulation, domestic spying, the war on drugs, the war on poverty, the war on everything but war....I could go on and on and on and on...

To put it simply, you want to know why we're trillions in debt (and sinking) and massive programs like Obamacare are failing before they even get started?

Because a Corvette makes a lousy tow truck.