Christmas Recall

Last week there was a call from dozen Chinese graduate students to reject Christmas and return to Confucian ideals(non-Christian Chinese that is). I have no opinion on this call to return to the past one way or the other. It's their world and I'm just passing through. But today I am reminded that perhaps the Chinese people shouldn't be too quick to reject Christmas(at least out of hand) but rather discover the non-commercial, non-western religious overtones, pro-Confucian ideals in it.
I was walking down the street doing some Christmas shopping(can't even escape it here in a atheist/Buddhist country) for friends, "when what to my wandering eyes should appear", to steal from the good poem but a Christmas tree. A HUGE Christmas tree. It was sitting right in the middle of the shopping square here in our toney district. Three or four girls where hawking the chance to buy Christmas "Blessings" for ones family and future year. A very Chinese thing to do. Stop by any temple here and there is at least one person asking for 'Fu' fortune and or Fanrong prosperity. And maybe the students see this as a bad thing. Maybe they see the people replacing deep tradition with shallow, commercialized, imported Western customs and are afraid of a loss of identity. Perhaps this is true. ANd of course I am looking at this from a poly-cultural view gleaned from being raised in the good ole US of A. But it seems to me that many people here and there and everywhere miss that Christmas isn't about crass commercialism, or trees, or Father Christmas. Rather it is about asking for peace, understanding and forgiveness. It is about asking for these blessings to be bestowed upon our neighbors and not our selves. It is not to see how much material goods we can accumulate or how many blessings we can ask for ourselves. It is about giving, not shopping, not getting and definitily not about taking our things back to the store. Unfortunately that is the image and the idea that is transmitted and exported around the world. It is one more thing for people around the world to push-back against which is understandable as the message is shallow and often demeaning. Couple it with the crazy Christianists and their unholy war to save all us 'sinners' and well is it any wonder there is push-back.
For me Christmas isn't about wishing and hoping and praying and pleading for wishes and blessing for one's self. Rather it is all these things and more but doing for others; doing it for strangers even. ANd I think that message is compatible with Confucius and his ideals, hell this message is compatible with most every religion, belief or philosophy. It is the messengers that foul it all up and become to concerned with dogma and forget compassion and love and forgiveness and most importantly giving. ANd not the giving they do in church so everyone can see you and hopefully think what a swell person you are,(chances are they only spy on you long enough to see the cash disappear into the basket or plate or hat before moving on to disparage your clothes or you car or house or kids. You'll never win this people). No this is not the giving that is important. It is the giving from the heart without comment, without condemnation, without judgement and without stings. It is giving to save the person before you and not the 'soul' you'll report back to your church masters. "Mark another notch on the big board Pastor. I bagged me another soul at the Wal-Mart", or in some 'impoverished' country, or where ever godless, heathen souls are to be found. Until this proper message, of what this glorious season is all about, is emphasized nothing will change and our Western customs will be seen for what we have allowed them to become. And so in the spirit of true giving I sent the people of this polluted little river town a message of love and happy blessings from my family to theirs: "To the people of Sanming my family wishes you peace and prosperity in the coming year. May your days be pleasant and filled with joy. All the best. From the Burns's As I was filling out my card I was trying to explain all this tom my translator. I think she got some of it. But often they are not use to such words from foreigners and so maybe my message was lost. But never the less it was a wonderful opportunity to share with the people here and show not all Westerns are cold capitalists, crazy Christianist or craven coveting self-centered Plilistines. Of course most of them were just staring wide-eyed and open mouthed at the loa wai in their mist. I don't think a one of them realized I was just engaging with the Spirit of Christmas as it exists and as it is found here in the land of tea, pandas and mind boggling contradictions. Peace and Merry Christmas to you and yours from this fog-shrouded river town, known as Sanming City, PRC.