(This column was published in the ‘Faith’ section yesterday which I’m now a regular contributor for.)

Andrew Fouché

For The Times-Standard

As the year 2006 comes to a close I find myself running from holiday party to Christmas shopping, to more holiday parties, with little to no down time. Besides the busyness of the season, one of the reasons I don’t have much extra time could have something to do with the recent birth of my son which has definitely turned my world upside down – in a good way. This time last year my wife and I had only ourselves to think about and although things were still busy, our interests were the center of importance. Now life, sleep, activities, and even Christmas itself revolves around this helpless little baby. To put it mildly my focus has shifted. It has shifted from me to my son. To a life focused on self to a life…well, less-focused on self (I still have a long way to go before I’m entirely selfless).

As a Christian one phrase I’ve heard said often during this time of the year is “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Christmas is a celebration of his birth, a birth that would ultimately come to be known as the ultimate selfless act, as Jesus later willingly gives his life. The challenge we face in our consumer driven society today is to actually keep the real meaning of Christmas at the center of our celebration. This is always difficult for me as I get so focused on buying stuff and giving others ideas of what to buy for me that I lose sight of the real spirit of the season. Whether you celebrate this season in the same way as I do we can all agree that the idea of being selfless transcends religion and culture.

It’s no coincidence that the two areas that are the biggest focus this time of year- gifts and relationships- are also the same ones that can cause people to dread the Christmas season the most. While gift-giving remains and will always be a huge part of the season there are many people in our community that barely have enough money to buy food, let alone presents, for their kids. For them Christmas is a time where the overwhelming commercialism serves as a constant reminder of their shortcomings. Many amazing people and organizations in our community reach out during this time of the year to make Christmas special and help meet the needs of those in our community, selflessly giving and taking the time to serve those who have fallen on hard times. Because of their effort we also have an opportunity to partner with them. Whether it’s donating a gift or just dropping spare change in a bucket your selfless act of giving has the potential to bring light and hope to someone’s life this year.

The second area that can be a struggle this time of year is our relationships. For many of us this is a time of reuniting with family and friends and enjoying the blessing of the relationships that we have. Unfortunately this time of year also brings to the surface the pain of relationships that have been lost. Whether because of death, estrangement, or other circumstances, intense loneliness and even mourning is often a byproduct of the Christmas season. As a community our ability to fill this void in people’s lives is far more individual than the first area I mentioned. It may take inviting someone to a family gathering that isn’t family, sharing a meal, or just listening to and acknowledging the hurt. I often find the hardest part of my life to be selfless with is my time. But giving time can be a gift far more valuable than a wrapped present.

Let’s all take the time this season to let the universal message of love speak through the commercialism and self centeredness of our society. Imagine what this next year could like if we did?