On Christmas, don't let the gifts get in the way of the meaning

Today, December 25, Christians around the world are celebrating Christmas, marking the birth of Jesus Christ.

In recent decades, however, the meaning of this holiday seems to have morphed into a celebration of shopping and receiving. Everyone wakes up wondering what extravagant gifts might be under the tree, waiting to be unwrapped.

It is believed that the Christmas gift-giving tradition began as a symbol of the gifts that the Magi brought to the baby Jesus. I certainly do not fault a tradition based on such good symbolic grounds.

But please remember that the gifts are a symbol of the season, not the reason for the season.

And remember that the biblical Jesus eschewed materialism and preached a gospel of unselfishness and sharing.

Enjoy your gifts, but be truly grateful for them. And remember those who aren't so fortunate this year.

Think of the children in Iraq, who woke up this morning to another day under foreign occupation.

Think of the children of Darfur, who woke up this morning to another day of genocide.

And think of those less fortunate right here in the U.S. Think of the millions of people who are jobless in this country, where unemployment insurance filings just hit a 26-year high. And think of the estimated 12 million children across the U.S. who are currently facing hunger on a daily basis.

So enjoy this festive holiday. But also, if you can afford it, please take some time in the next few days to make a year-end-donation, however small, to the charity of your choice.

It will feel good, I promise.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all.