I was singing Christmas Carols in my car the other day when an advertisement for a senior assisted living community came on the radio.
The peppy announcer revealed that my holiday could be a bit brighter if I looked into arranging my every need at this facility. A must for my holiday gift list with a side of peace of mind in the New Year.
This caught my attention. What did long term health care for the elderly have to do with this Christmas season, I wondered.
As the next ad announced the perfect gift of an oil change and safety check on my vehicle and promised holiday delight and peace on Earth, I was intrigued. I began to listen in earnest to the ads sprinkled between the holiday classics.
How many ways were there to spruce up my holiday, family happiness, and overall wellbeing?
Apparently, I could do this with fast food, slow food, appliances, clothing, travel, pet supplies, and eyeglasses. Who knew that holiday cheer was so abundantly available and that Santa had sold out on every level imaginable!
Interspersed within the traditional carols and local high schools rearranging the classics, were a few songs of devotion.
Oh Holy Night. The Sacred Light appeared on Earth. This invitation seemed quieter and sturdier than the garish promises of a consumer soaked culture desperate for just the thing to right the tilt of a world gone astray.
I felt a deep resonance within the story of the birthing of the Sacred Light.
The light shimmered in every traffic light, headlamp, and reflection. Here was the longevity of something that always was and always will be available. Right now, this Light was not so much needing to be purchased as it was ready to be opened.
Despite the mad seeking for the perfect gift all around me, I became aware of the deep potential to saturate within this Light.
Turning off the noise of the radio, I drove within the silent harmony of this invitation as the Light reflected within, around, and without.
Everything mundane and magical shimmered as the Light danced with every form and every idea.
Every magical idea of Santa and every belief that gifts would brighten our lives became understandable. The manipulation of this Sacredness, be it in consumerism or religion, was innocent within this dance. Absolutely everything could be enjoyed, valued, and shared.
