Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
(I John 2:15-17)
Father God:
The cruelty of Christmas manifests
each year about this time,
the day or two after carols cease
when the worldlings trek back to stores
returning gifts that did not fit
their body or their expectations,
buying what they really wanted,
now on sale, with what little power remains
within their plastic magic passports.
Without Jesus, thingy Christmas is so cruel.
To hype the holiday for two long months,
mad masters of the subliminal
create such intense desires,
tease the eyes with red and green,
build the hope that maybe, just maybe,
we could be that lovely couple
gifing to each other a Lexus.
Now that's a Christmas to remember! (tm)
Without Jesus, thingy Christmas long awaited,
is when the kids are indoctrinated
into the madness of our consumer age,
that having more than they could ever use
they gorge on even more, a crescendo of desire.
Hands tear through paper, eyes widen at the sight
of a toy Lexus driven by remote control,
just as the brain, drenched with dopamine,
is driven to fulfill its cravings
with bigger and better opiates.
In their thingy Christmas frenzy,
kids cast aside what was mere moments before
their heart's desire, but now they are on fire
for something new, for what is next,
just like their parents did
with the boat, the pool, their marriage.
Holy Lord, save us from the worldling's plight
of perpetual disappointment and the blight
of thingy Christmas upon our souls.
Sucker-punched by our affluence,
we pursue the wholly vacuous,
ignoring both Your Holy Word and Spirit,
grasping for all that fades away.
Confirm the intention of Your will
to possess us body, mind, and soul until
Your love eclipses every worldly craving
with eternal joy for those You're saving.
Help us do what pleases You
that Christ may make of us a present,
a gift-wrapped people for Your glory.
Amen.
