I picked up a newspaper and chuckled sarcastically as I read an ad from a big box store declaring its patriotism with “Memorable Savings.” And oh, by the way, in the “spirit of the holiday” the store bragged it would not only remain open on the holiday, but was extending its retail hours—forcing their own employees to work on the holiday. “God, love em’,” I thought, “now that’s patriotism!”
As a youngster, Memorial Day was a peaceful, even solemn occasion at our house. The day before, Mom would weed, prune and ready the well-kept flower beds that graced our home on Lake Road. Very early on Memorial Day (which was called Decoration Day then and was always on May 30th, regardless of what day of the week it might be), she would scrub vases and carefully gather armloads of fresh cut flowers. She devotedly arranged her best peonies, irises, and roses into the vases, accentuating each bouquet with dusty miller and lambs ear. We carefully loaded each personalized tribute into the family station wagon and visited the cemeteries. We took turns quietly placing bouquets on the graves of our departed family members as Mom spoke kindly of each relative, often dabbing her eyes with the ubiquitous lace hankie she kept stuffed in her sleeve.
I miss those days when the American holiday felt more holy. Maybe you weren’t aware that the word “holiday” was originally holy-day? Not that long ago American holidays focused on the people and events for which the holiday had been officially declared. But today, I’m saddened to see our holidays have become little more than mega-merchandizing opportunities. Once, summers began by quietly acknowledging our war-dead. In July, we celebrated the birth of a great nation. In December, our hearts were warmed against the winter by the birth of a Savior, and each spring we experienced new life as we recognized Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.
But somewhere along the line, we’ve mutated from a group who humbly recognized great events into self-aggrandized individuals who merely celebrate ourselves. We’ve so embraced humanism’s viewpoint that nothing is more important than the individual that today every holiday becomes another opportunity to indulge ourselves with more stuff.
I don’t want this to be a rant and I’m certainly not about to suggest a boycott. I’d simply like to remind ourselves that Jesus is the reason for every season. Any time we can look beyond ourselves, we become more like Jesus—who came not as a self-focused king, but as a servant. He told his disciples that in His Kingdom we exist for the Kingdom’s sake—not the Kingdom for our sake.
Let’s put the “holy” back into our holidays by appropriating the true meaning of each holiday and giving back to God what He has so graciously provided us as Americans. When we humble ourselves, curb our wants and humbly affirm that everything we do must bring glory to God, we become bigger people by making ourselves smaller.
Listen as Jesus speaks to the rich religious people of his time:
“No worker can serve two bosses: He’ll either hate the first and love the second Or adore the first and despise the second. You can’t serve both God and the Bank. When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch.
So Jesus spoke to them: “You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what’s behind the appearance. What society sees and calls monumental, God sees through and calls monstrous.
Luke 16:13-15 (The Message)
Lord, please help me to overcome my insatiable appetite for more and focus my energies on those things that mean the most to You. Prompt me to become more and more generous and less and less self-focused. Amen.
A few practical/spiritual ways to turn any holiday into a holy day:
- Provide gift cards to someone in need.
- Take a mission trip instead of beach vacation. There are many godly organizations that would be delighted to hear from you.
- Instead of purchasing multiple gifts for your loved ones, enlist their generosity and give gifts in their names to the least, the lost and the last.
- Improve someone else’s home instead of your own. Some home improvement stores offer generous discounts for benevolent projects. Have a specific plan and ask for the manager.
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:37-40