Christmas Greed

Not all greed is bad. Christmas is often attacked for its association with American consumerism. And it’s true of course, that there is a lot of money spent every  year at Christmas (according to some the average family’s budget for Christmas this year was $750). But it’s important to remember that most of what is bought and spent is done so with a thought towards the joy of others. There is another type of greed associated with this holiday: greediness to bring joy to others.

I saw it most evidently in my daughter this Christmas. She is old enough to understand the concepts of Christmas. She gets the idea of the gift of Jesus, the gifts of Santa, the gifts that mommy and daddy give her. She understands that the presents she receives are gifts given because we love her and want to bring her joy. She in turn wanted to reciprocate this year. She secretly colored pictures for mommy, daddy, and baby brother, she asked for boxes for them, and asked for help wrapping them, and she stuck them under the tree. She baited us with excitement: You’re going to love it, daddy. She teased us with timelines: but you can’t open it until Christmas. There was a special joy in the whole event for her. Not because she was getting anything out of it. We weren’t giving her something as a specific response to he presents for us. The joy was in the idea that she was going to be responsible for increasing our joy. And she was, of course.

Yes, it’s true that we spend lots of money at Christmas. As Americans we often tell ourselves we’ll scale it back next year, buy less, do less, relax more, etc. We usually don’t. But there is a greediness for bringing others joy that should never be scaled back. We research what to get each other. We spend time and energy finding it, buying it, hiding it, wrapping it, and we wait with as much anticipation as the recipients do for them to open it. When my son opened his special pirate ship I was excited for him to play with it as he was. I am terrible about waiting to give gifts and had sat on that one for months. I knew he would love it and would have given it to him before Thanksgiving if I could have. My joy was bound up in his joy. I was greedy!

Greed is associated with Christmas, but not all of it is bad. There is a greediness to bring others joy that ought to continue all year round, and yet which is especially evident at Christmas. We saw it tangibly this year, and I loved it. As I reflect this morning I am thankful for that greed, and thankful that we are passing it on to our children.