'Tis the season of giving, not materialism

By Matt Youn     12/4/08 6:00pm

$450 billion. What is that number? The estimated cost for the rest of the Iraq War? The amount of money needed to bail out all the faltering companies in the United States? Actually, $450 billion is approximately how much Americans spend on Christmas each year. Each year, we shop for hours in crowded malls and stress over figuring out the best gifts for friends and family - and don't forget the standard Black Friday articles about accidental deaths and mass chaos. We stretch our budgets and seek the best deals to spend those dollars and cents on numerous purchases of video games, DVDs, designer clothes, jewelry, furniture and other items all for the sake of providing a gift for someone for the holiday. After all, you wouldn't want to be the jerk who didn't give a gift to someone who gave you one, would you?Christmas is a holiday that is loathed by many and loved by many. People complain about the much-too-early advertising and Christmas decorations. There are people who despise the Christmas music of Bing Crosby blasting from the speakers and the holiday lights tripping them on their way across the living room. On the other hand, there are people who love the holiday atmosphere, Christmas cheer, spiked eggnog and trips to the ice skating rink. Either way, one cannot deny the ridiculous amount of money put into this holiday. And for what purpose? Was Christmas made so that we could all buy gifts for one another? Was it made so that your aunt could buy you another sweater vest from Banana Republic? Or should we consider the greater meaning of Christmas?

Christmas originated as a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus, who changed the world (whether you believe in his teachings or not). The day celebrated love and peace on earth, and yet in our times, this purpose seems largely to have been placed in the background. The message is lost, but there are churches who are seeking to bring this purpose back. Cue the Advent Conspiracy.

In 2006, five pastors, including Chris Seay of the Houston-based church Ecclesia, helped start the Advent Conspiracy (advent is the church season leading up to Christmas). The goal was to help end the lack of clean water in the world, which kills more people globally than anything else. Remember that number $450 billion? The estimated cost to provide clean water worldwide is $10 billion. Four churches ended up giving $500,000 to the cause in 2006, and more churches gave a sum totaling $3 million last year. Hopefully, this year's total can reach even higher levels.

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The Advent Conspiracy's proposal is that people spend less money on gifts, and instead spend that money to build clean water wells around the world. Then, to give more to family and friends not through presents bought at the Galleria, but through extra time spent with one another. With these steps, we can attend to the poor and needy in the world instead of attending to our own material interests. After all, consumerism doesn't lead to joy in the world.

This is the season of advent. You don't have to believe in Christianity or any other religion to believe that people in this world could use help, and you are free to buy whatever you want and give however you like. This season, I hope you will consider spending less on material goods and giving more to help out. Check out www.adventconspiracy.org for more information (and a video that explains the purpose of the movement way better than I can). Maybe we can contribute to once again making Christmas a day about changing the world for the better.

Matt Youn is a Brown College senior and Student Association president.

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