Annual Christmas Card Results

Annual Christmas Card Results

Christmas 2014 delivered 62 cards to our house, not including family photos and letters. Secular cards (39) outnumbered religiously-themed cards (23), although I’m happy to announce that among the latter we received only two stable scenes and three white Holy Families—all Biblically-incorrect, although I’ll grant a pass to two of the white families since they were produced by artists in 15th century France and 17th century Italy, respectively. Just as Elton John imagines Jesus was gay (Scotland Daily Record, February 19, 2010), the portrayal of nativity figures to be “like us” is not only appropriate but one of the ways we humans fathom ourselves made in the image of God. What’s neither appropriate nor imaginative, however, is modeling Mary on a white Barbie-doll Blue Nun.

Of the 23 religious cards, there were depictions of churches (some with glitter), an open bible, scripture verses, a stained glass window featuring Christ Resurrected, and a child at her bedside praying undoubtedly for presents what with her empty Christmas stocking hanging from the bedpost. Perhaps the sender of the Easter window already knows what I only learned recently: originally the season of Advent was when members of the early Church prepared for the Second Coming of Christ, and only generations later—after the Second Coming kept getting delayed—was the Birth of Jesus added to the agenda.

Gospel-related (with exceptions) cards showed a pregnant Mary (on a donkey) and Joseph heading to Bethlehem, the town of Bethlehem (stylized in gold, which makes as much sense as stylizing Glasgow in gold), a group of angels (blowing trumpets), and the (three) magi following the star. Truer to scripture, two of the aforementioned Holy Families were placed in houses (rather than barns).

My favorite nativity scene this year has African figures robed in various tartans. The card is from The Karibuni Trust “supporting children from the streets and in the slums in Kenya. These hand-made cards are produced by refugees from other African countries living in Kenya and based at the Jesuit Refugee Centre in Nairobi. By using these cards Karibuni Trust is both working in partnership with JRS towards the self-reliance of the refugees and continuing to help the children and families in the fourteen projects supported by the Trust.”

As I’m writing this I’m wondering if, instead of exploiting Africans for their natural resources including gold and diamonds and subsidizing warfare and slavery and inequality, we white Westerners who claim to be Christians yet have way too much wealth might celebrate Christ every day of the year—whether you believe Christ is coming, coming again, never coming back, or never left—by supporting The Karibuni Trust and similar organizations by which African people develop their communities and nations. Imagine Jesus is a black gay girl orphan.

Of the 39 secular cards, eight were nature scenes; there were four each of robins, Santas, and Christmas trees; and the rest covered the gambit from pets (one dog card and one cat card), sheep (“We wish ewe a merry Christmas”), reindeer, penguins (two cards, balancing two others with polar bears), snow people, snowy village scenes, candles, wreaths, holly, and poinsettias.

Equally spread out were this year’s greetings. Although “Merry Christmas” was the most popular, we also received “Best wishes,” “Warm holiday wishes,” “Happy Christmas,” “Christmas blessings,” “Wonderful Christmas,” “Very special Christmas,” “Season’s greetings,” “Happy holidays,” “Festive wishes,” and—oddly—“Truly magical.” From the manufacturers of magic, Pixar, the message was right out of the hymnal, “Joy to the world!”—go figure.

Sometimes I wish we would own up to the truth that Christmas is not about making “merry” or being “happy.” For me, more meaningful greetings included combinations of “Joy” and “Peace.” One friend and colleague reminded us “Immanuel, God with us.” Some friends straddled the sacred and the secular with “Christmas joy and cheer” or “Peace and happiness,” while another friend settled on “Happy New Year.” Friends in Quebec issued us “Que Noël soit illuminé de joie,” and a friend in Shetland wished us “Göd yöl.”

“All is calm” was a wonderful ideal expressed on one card, but it’s hardly the reality for millions of people in the world struggling with poverty, violence, or disease. Fortunately the backs of many cards relayed the possibility for change, as their production or purchase supported the following charities: Habitat, Sue Ryder, Mind (for better mental health, with a beautiful reproduction of Gustav Klimt’s “Harmony”), Shelter, Macmillan Cancer Support, Foodshare and The Trussell Trust, East Lothian Special Needs Playscheme, Beatson Cancer Charity, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, National Wildlife Foundation, Save the Children, Barnardo’s, British Heart Foundation, Help for Heroes (Support for Our Wounded), Alzheimer’s Society, Consortium for Street Children (UK), The Leprosy Mission, and Cancer Research UK.

Two parish churches located near where the Loch Ness monster eludes photographers but attracts tourists went so far as to send a card informing us, “We are prayerfully searching for the right person to take us on the next step of our journey of faith. Why not come and visit us in the New Year or view our Parish Profile on our website?” I wonder if they would consider a black gay female?

The words that really spoke to my heart were from More Light Presbyterian friends in North Carolina:

“From our home to yours,

at Christmas 2014

and in the New Year 2015,

offering prayers for peace,

hope for joy,

and promise to work

for justice and reconciliation.”

Amen.