“For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.” Psalm 107:9
The human heart beats to a rhythm known as longing. It is this rhythm that much of our society has learned to capitalize on and, in turn, make a profit. Indeed, the consumerist urge that drives the season of Christmas is simply another expression of longing and an example of our society’s ability to leverage that longing into a transaction that will leave us longing for more.
Every year, it seems, the Christmas season extends as Thanksgiving celebrations shrink. In fact this year we were not too deep into November before I began to notice Christmas decorations adorning the hallways of our supermarkets. A couple of weeks ago I noticed a lawn already decorated with the fullest of Christmas joy – two weeks before Thanksgiving.
I love to decorate our lawn and Melissa loves to decorate our home. But two weeks before Thanksgiving? Some might argue that it’s okay to get into the Christmas spirit a bit early. In fact, such a course might even help us extend that good old Christmas cheer in a culture where cheer is often in short supply.
However, I have a hunch that such a pursuit of Christmas cheer might be another expression of a deeper longing. A longing we all too often seek to fill with resources that leave us longing for more. After all, it was not all that long ago (less than a year) when we celebrated last Christmas.