Advent.

Well hello,

                  Today is the beginning of Advent, did you know that? Or are you so busy you don’t have time or the inclination to even consider the Christian concept of Christmas?

The news coverage over the last few days has been quite incredible as we observe dear old ladies and gentlemen get trampled over and battered by humans of varying ethnicities as they scramble for 50 inch televisions assembled in the most cost effective countries to do nothing more than increase the footfall into Supermarket ‘hangers’ and satisfy the ever uneasy shareholder. It’s the bloke who went in for a Warburton’s loaf and some fairy liquid that I feel sorry for!

I’ve worked in retail all my life, Black Friday didn’t exist a few years ago, It has been embraced into the bosom of society like a re run of Morecambe and Wise or Only Falls and Horses. Somebody has gone, ‘we’ll have a bit of that’ and bing, bang, bosh, people have turned into frenzied monsters who in a few more years will arrive at ASDA in full combat gear, all tooled up and ready to inflict immense pain on the enemy in the desire to grab a sandwich toaster that nobody wanted the day before. It’s landed quicker than a crow on a deceased hedgehog.  Retailers wont just need security they will require a border crossing, bullet proof vests and no man’s land area that keeps the animals from the meat, so to speak!

I have to be honest and suggest this utter ridiculous and embarrassing behavior by the human race is indicative of our society today. This shameful display by individuals clambering over one another to gain an advantage is common place throughout industry today and frankly only enhances my belief and faith in the way and truthfulness of Christianity in its purest form.  Expectation that you only succeed in life is a huge burden to carry, why do we always have to get what we want? Why do we always have to be successful? Why do we always have to do better than the man or woman that walks by our side?  I would suggest that sometimes it is good to be vulnerable; sometimes it’s okay not to be running on a full tank, sometimes it okay to do absolutely nothing.  The supermarket  debacle only reinforces my belief that when we should be resting we are out battling and fighting to gain an advantage over someone else and on this occasion the competitive edge led to fighting, abuse and shame on the man or women that was kicking ten bells of the you know what out of the weaker individual in the desire to grab a cheaply manufactured television that will probably pack up working before the next Black Friday.

This Urban warfare should remind us all of what society is becoming and at the beginning of advent Christians are encouraged to prepare to celebrate the coming of Christmas, would you know that? Has that had any media coverage? Is that given any press space? Can anybody even be bothered to consider Christmas in its Christian form? For Christians, Christmas has been robbed it has been ripped away from them by a consumerist society that places significant financial burdens upon families and creates the anticlimax that it’s all over come Boxing Day when the scrap for the next Matsui or Blaupunkt piece of electrical hardware takes place up and down the high street. For Christians Christmas doesn’t finish on Christmas day, it begins!

I don’t for one minute believe this situation will change any time soon but I do want anybody who might read this little advent rant to consider the Christian message that is delivered this coming Christmas. Whatever your view of Christians, religion, me! The story of Jesus is not that unbelievable, just very helpful, He came into the world to help us, to save us from ourselves, to teach us the idea that we can heal and be healed, and to love one another.

We all claim to be in shock and awe at the recent clips of ‘nutters’ fighting for a successful haul, but be honest with yourself, could that have been you? How far are you being pushed in the search for success?

Advent affords you the opportunity to claim back a bit of yourself if that makes sense? A chance to re-evaluate your own self-being. To consider your own existence and the purpose of being alive.  If you feel you have lost your identity or are being manufactured into something you are not then let advent encourage to do something about, The message of Christ is simple and I repeat’ he came into the world to help us, to save us from ourselves, to teach us the idea we can heal and be healed, and to love one another.

Black Friday, was meaningless, the consumerist Christmas is short lived, the lovely time you will spend with your families is real, the twelve days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day, and I encourage that if possible you extend your season of goodwill to then and beyond, and use advent as a time of reflection and consider where you’re up to and what is important in your life.

In Christ

Alex the Anglican