Growing Up at the Holidays

Last updated on: December 23, 2015 at 10:35 pm by John Mark N. Reynolds

Growing Up at the Holidays 2015-12-23T22:35:29-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I enjoyed Christmas as a child and now enjoy it in my fifties, the youth of old age. I am thankful for a good childhood, given to me by a healthy community, that made this possible. Growing up has been hard to do . . . especially in a way compatible with Christmas.

Growing up is hard to do in a culture of immediacy. We are constantly reminded of now. Our ethics, choices, and attitude are personalized . . . at least as far as our consumer culture can allow. What will come of our choices, we do not know. President Obama may be sure that what we are doing now will turn out well, but many of us have some doubts.

Oddly, Facebook may help us. Lately my social media feed has reminded me of what I did years ago and for good and bad I can see how choices I made then are impacting me today. Facebook is a reality reminder: the past has helped shape my present.

Humans are creatures of time and what we have done or has been done to us in the past is part of what we become. Most Americans no longer work in agriculture so when we hear “we reap what we sow,” we forget that sowing and reaping are months apart. In the same way, the good or evil we do may have an immediate impact or it may take months or years to develop.

When we begin a good habit, we sow good seed, but the harvest may take a very long time to come. In the same way, I have spent years watching college students (including myself!) squander what parents have sown into our lives, because the results take time. When I refused to wear knee pads traveling with a dance team to avoid spoiling the costume, I did not have my fifty-two year old knees. My fifty-two year old self is sorry about the choices my nineteen year old self made, but it is too late to change those choices.

Even worse is that we may like what we have become, even if years ago it would have appalled us. We are now incapable of the feelings we once had. Christmas may be one the last reminders of this fact. External harm can make it hard to love Christmas, but so can internal harm we do to ourselves.

Can a man who consumes hundreds of hours of pornography see people the same way? Or does moral decay make a season of innocence irritating?

Can an employer who treats coworkers like objects for years love a season of giving? Or does cynicism corrode the joy of Christmas?

Can we glorify violence in our games, entertainment, and politics and understand “peace, goodwill to men?” Or does all the harmony make us cranky?

Will hundreds of hours of consuming profanity laden, harsh, and ugly media make us able to tolerate sweetness? Or do we begin to confuse the childlike with childishness?

I wonder. There is a great culture worry that we are not “growing up” and are prolonging adolescence. I see a greater danger that we are destroying childhood, trampling on adolescence, and creating jaded souls. We don’t grow up, we merely grow old having reaped the harvest of a refusal to obey the laws of nature and of nature’s God.

Christmas can be commercialized, personalized, and mocked, but Christmas goes on coming every year. Jesus is born and is glorified in His great act of sacrifice. He came. He is here. He is coming again. We cannot control these facts, sell them, or make them fit our tastes. Jesus was born and a great good came into human history that still is bearing fruit.

We see Jesus where there is innocence.

We see Jesus where there is justice.

We see Jesus where there is peace.

We see Jesus where there is beauty.

Jesus will keep brining innocence, justice, peace, and beauty until all the world is full of them. I look back over my past year of writing and hope that I have sown seeds of all those good things. I hope I am pure, just, peaceful, and kind. I hope I am becoming fit for a grownup Christmas where I can come as a child so I can be a man by submitting my will to what is good. I want to grow up to love Christmas better, not merely grow old, cynical, and tired.

God, help us, every one.

Culture

Previous Post

December 22, 2015

Christmas is a Reason to be Christian or Why I am Not an Atheist, Pagan, or Muslim

Next Post

December 24, 2015 The Count Down Ends: Christmas is Coming!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does Paul say is the greatest of faith, hope, and love?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Hope Love Strength Faith

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »