"Festivus" was the holiday George Costanza's dad created to coincide with Christmas. "Festivus for the rest of us" was the saying that came with it. According to Wikipedia: "Originally a family tradition of scriptwriter Dan O'Keefe, who worked on the American sitcom Seinfeld, Festivus entered popular culture after it was made the focus of the 1997 episode "The Strike". The holiday's celebration, as it was shown on Seinfeld, includes a Festivus dinner, an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole, practices such as the "Airing of Grievances" and "Feats of Strength", and the labeling of easily explainable events as "Festivus miracles."
The airing of grievances and feats of strength caused George to moan as his father began each. Basically, what did you do to make me angry and let me show you how inept you are were behind both in the comedy. What is it about Christmas, the actual holiday, or its made up counterpart Festivus, that has that potential to bring out the worst in us? Especially a holiday that celebrates the birth of the Christ who came to this world to save us?
Peter talks to us a family of God in 1 Peter, but the passage has application for us as we prepare for Christmas, both as a church preparing for Christ's coming and as a family preparing to assemble: "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing." (1 Peter 3:8 - 9)
Pray for that unity and humility as we gather, and pray that we are a blessing to those around us.
Hope Men's Ministry
No comments:
Post a Comment