Reflections

Thanksgiving is almost upon us. It marks one of the biggest holidays on the American calendar. Quite possibly, the biggest. It depends on how you measure it. Back in Canada, celebrated in October, Thanksgiving is much smaller, not as significant. But here in the US it not only is a holiday unto itself it also begins the season of Advent - or if you prefer - the season of Shopping for Christmas Presents. Friday will be "Black Friday" which 75% of all citizens will be either shopping or working retail in the US - strange.

This begs the question in a way, about holidays... Are they representative of our culture, or do they point to something beyond it? I dunno. It's something we've been talking about in my class on the Liturgial Year.

I also am thinking about people... what do we reflect in what we do, how we celebrate, how we spend our money. I mean, as Christians, what are we representing, reflecting? Especially at this time, this time of Civic Celebration (its hard to pretend that it is more religious than civic - Thanksgiving & Christmas) What are we doing when we celebrate - what are we celebrating and what are we showing when we do so? Are we pointing toward our culture or something else? Is pointing to our culture, reflecting it - bad? Should we be marking something else - pointing to God at this time in contrast to what other people are doing?

This also begs another question. In our everyday life, what are we reflecting? Are you, am I reflecting Christ in what I do? Or am I simply reflecting my culture? Or worse yet, am I simply reflecting myself? Is that even reflecting anything? I know I SHOULD be reflecting Christ but am I, right now doing that? Or am I completely submersed in my culture that I no longer point towards anything - at least not in my whole life? I think this is a question I'm going to spend some time contemplating...