Once again,
our celebration of Christmas has become part of family history recorded in our
memories and photos. This year I’ve been
trying to glean some lessons by reflecting upon our preparation and celebration
of Christmas. It all started when I was
preparing our so-called garbage for
weekly pick-up at the curb.
Thanks to our attempts at recycling, our weekly output of “waste” is less than one average-size garbage bag per week. As a result, the company who serves us discounts our quarterly rate—a nice economic incentive over and above our calling to do what is right as stewards of creation. So, I became quite reflective as I sorted the “Christmas waste” from our collective unwrapping and “un-packaging” of gifts.
While I was gleaning and separating the metal, plastic, cardboard, and
recyclable paper, I began to reflect on how we handle the material side of
Christmas. I’ve recorded my thoughts here
in hopes that they will give additional life and usefulness beyond our regular
ritual of handling the “stuff” of Christmas celebration.
While pawing through the pile of crumpled, colorful wrappings, I had to consider the relative importance of my gleaning and sorting in the first place. After all, considering the mountains of garbage generated at Christmas, what difference can my separation and recycling make? Besides, isn’t it likely that my ‘garbage company’ can do an even better job of sorting and recycling than I can? Aren’t there more constructive ways for me to use my? But then, my pawing and pondering began to yield some unexpected treasures.
First, I realized that the “what difference can I make” argument extends far beyond whether or not we choose to exercise stewardship of our material blessings. It is also at the heart of God’s call to evangelism and discipleship. After all, if we are to be faithful as witnesses of the “Good News” toward a spiritually needy world, we must believe that our individual and often seemingly unnoticed efforts can make a big difference in God’s harvest. That includes a “word fitly spoken” (Proverbs 25:11) as well as proper acts of stewardship of the material gifts of God.
Second, my sorting gave new meaning to the torn and shredded wrapping paper and packaging. This pile of colorful, cast-off, coverings of the treasures we had only recently purchased and wrapped as Christmas gifts now served as a reminder of our love for our family. A torn-open, cardboard package that had held a doll (“Made in China”), anchored securely with some flexible wire that is great for “twist-tying,” was also a reminder of the smiles and joy of our granddaughter when she first opened the package. Other torn wrappings and packaging had been removed with anticipation by me, and I was reminded of the joy I saw on the faces of givers who were delighted at my excitement. Wonderfully, my stewardship of the cast-off wrapping paper and packaging seemed to provide a fitting closure to our time of giving and celebration. Our love and kindness toward each other was being revived and extended by my responsible care in disposing of the materials that had once enclosed the treasures inside.
Third, and somewhat related to the previous point, I began to realize that my investment of time to properly sort and recycle our wrappings and packaging provided additional time to reflect thankfully on what we had just done in giving and receiving gifts. So often, we hurry through activities that are only possible because of the gracious hand of our Creator God. For example, the discipline of offering a prayer of thanks at mealtime allows us the blessing of pausing and considering God’s gracious provision of nutritious food and the ecological, agricultural, and economic system that makes it so readily available. As I handled the wrappings and packaging, I realized that the “cost” of these materials went far beyond our monetary expenses in purchasing them. There is also the “ecological cost” or “impact” on God’s creation through the refining, manufacturing, packaging, marketing, and shipping of the products and wrappings. In light of these costs, it is only proper that we take time to recognize the ecological and stewardship mandates that define our responsibility and that of our children toward material resources.
In summary, I was encouraged not to omit even small efforts to “make a difference” through words or actions of good will toward God, my neighbor, and creation. Also, my attention to the stewardship of Christmas wrappings and packaging enhanced the benefit of these material resources by providing a few moments of reflection and closure on our time of giving and receiving. Although their color and beauty is temporal, the eternal value of these wrappings was assured by acknowledging their role as vehicles of love and good will in our Christmas celebration.
I close with a few practical suggestions for applying stewardship of material resources to the Christmas (or any birthday) celebration:
Thanks to our attempts at recycling, our weekly output of “waste” is less than one average-size garbage bag per week. As a result, the company who serves us discounts our quarterly rate—a nice economic incentive over and above our calling to do what is right as stewards of creation. So, I became quite reflective as I sorted the “Christmas waste” from our collective unwrapping and “un-packaging” of gifts.
 |
| Christmas wrappings, packaging, and reusable boxes |
While pawing through the pile of crumpled, colorful wrappings, I had to consider the relative importance of my gleaning and sorting in the first place. After all, considering the mountains of garbage generated at Christmas, what difference can my separation and recycling make? Besides, isn’t it likely that my ‘garbage company’ can do an even better job of sorting and recycling than I can? Aren’t there more constructive ways for me to use my? But then, my pawing and pondering began to yield some unexpected treasures.
First, I realized that the “what difference can I make” argument extends far beyond whether or not we choose to exercise stewardship of our material blessings. It is also at the heart of God’s call to evangelism and discipleship. After all, if we are to be faithful as witnesses of the “Good News” toward a spiritually needy world, we must believe that our individual and often seemingly unnoticed efforts can make a big difference in God’s harvest. That includes a “word fitly spoken” (Proverbs 25:11) as well as proper acts of stewardship of the material gifts of God.
Second, my sorting gave new meaning to the torn and shredded wrapping paper and packaging. This pile of colorful, cast-off, coverings of the treasures we had only recently purchased and wrapped as Christmas gifts now served as a reminder of our love for our family. A torn-open, cardboard package that had held a doll (“Made in China”), anchored securely with some flexible wire that is great for “twist-tying,” was also a reminder of the smiles and joy of our granddaughter when she first opened the package. Other torn wrappings and packaging had been removed with anticipation by me, and I was reminded of the joy I saw on the faces of givers who were delighted at my excitement. Wonderfully, my stewardship of the cast-off wrapping paper and packaging seemed to provide a fitting closure to our time of giving and celebration. Our love and kindness toward each other was being revived and extended by my responsible care in disposing of the materials that had once enclosed the treasures inside.
Third, and somewhat related to the previous point, I began to realize that my investment of time to properly sort and recycle our wrappings and packaging provided additional time to reflect thankfully on what we had just done in giving and receiving gifts. So often, we hurry through activities that are only possible because of the gracious hand of our Creator God. For example, the discipline of offering a prayer of thanks at mealtime allows us the blessing of pausing and considering God’s gracious provision of nutritious food and the ecological, agricultural, and economic system that makes it so readily available. As I handled the wrappings and packaging, I realized that the “cost” of these materials went far beyond our monetary expenses in purchasing them. There is also the “ecological cost” or “impact” on God’s creation through the refining, manufacturing, packaging, marketing, and shipping of the products and wrappings. In light of these costs, it is only proper that we take time to recognize the ecological and stewardship mandates that define our responsibility and that of our children toward material resources.
In summary, I was encouraged not to omit even small efforts to “make a difference” through words or actions of good will toward God, my neighbor, and creation. Also, my attention to the stewardship of Christmas wrappings and packaging enhanced the benefit of these material resources by providing a few moments of reflection and closure on our time of giving and receiving. Although their color and beauty is temporal, the eternal value of these wrappings was assured by acknowledging their role as vehicles of love and good will in our Christmas celebration.
I close with a few practical suggestions for applying stewardship of material resources to the Christmas (or any birthday) celebration:
1. How am I doing in providing an
example of good stewardship both of material resources, including what may be
called ‘waste,’ and the Good News of Christ’s coming and soon return. After all, shouldn’t my actions toward
material creation, the Creator’s footstool (Isaiah 66:1), be a pleasing part of
my worship and service to God?
2. How can I be more conscious of the
environmental impact of packaging? What
distinctions can I make in choosing products that are packaged with
environmental stewardship in mind?
3. I’m challenged to research my ‘garbage
company’s’ role in the waste stream – what happens to our garbage? Is it sorted and reclaimed? What is my part in stewarding these
resources?
4. Are there lessons for both the givers
and the receivers of gifts with respect to how we handle the treasured contents
of a package AND the packaging and wrappings?
Have we lost the distinction between the means and the ends of gift
giving? Means as well as ends?
5. I’m challenged to expand our use of
reusable gift boxes. Although young
children enjoy tearing open packages with reckless abandon and joy, at least
some gifts can be given in reusable boxes.
Indeed, we’ve begun to circulate some sturdy boxes covered with colorful
paper among our homes, and which reappear the following year with a new gift
inside (see examples in photo, upper right).
We also use other packages such as used cereal boxes.
Please “Comment”
to add your thoughts, questions, or practical suggestions.
Prayer: Father in Heaven, thank you for sending your Beloved Son to be the Savior of the world; especially, to be the Savior of all who accept His sacrifice to provide atonement for their sin. Thank you that this Son of love Who entered this world and humbly took on flesh, wrapped in cloths in a manger; all within the busy, distracted, commercial world of His time. Help us (help me) not to be so distracted by all the wrappings and trappings that I miss Your purposes for me. After all, my own works—even my efforts to be more “green” environmentally-- are only filthy rags if I forget my desperate need for daily spiritual renewal through confession and regeneration. Amen.
Prayer: Father in Heaven, thank you for sending your Beloved Son to be the Savior of the world; especially, to be the Savior of all who accept His sacrifice to provide atonement for their sin. Thank you that this Son of love Who entered this world and humbly took on flesh, wrapped in cloths in a manger; all within the busy, distracted, commercial world of His time. Help us (help me) not to be so distracted by all the wrappings and trappings that I miss Your purposes for me. After all, my own works—even my efforts to be more “green” environmentally-- are only filthy rags if I forget my desperate need for daily spiritual renewal through confession and regeneration. Amen.
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