A Christmas Season in the Tribe.....
My new hometown has snow on the ground this week and I find myself trying to remember what it’s like to see the welcome sight of those huge flakes falling from heaven. I look out my own window here and see bright green bushy leaves, a partly cloudy sky and a hazy fog beginning to form over the mountains. I miss being home for this season of the year.
Many of you may have never spent a Christmas away from home, meaning away from America, in a different country. It’s quite an eye-opening experience. Thailand is a traditionally Buddhist country and the celebration of Christmas, among the general population, is not very common. In the bigger cities you’ll see an occasional Christmas tree set up in a department store along with part of an aisle devoted to Christmas décor in our local version of Walmart. But for the most part, people here in our neighborhood are pretty clueless about Christmas. They think it’s a New Year’s celebration for foreigners. They think it’s about presents and Santa Claus.
Our first year here in Wiang Kaen one of our close friends mentioned how they had once visited the home of some Americans during the Christmas season. Our friend was shocked by the vast assortment of gifts under the tree. He had never seen such a display. The first time I heard of his reaction I’ll admit that I was annoyed. “It’s Christmas”, I thought, “and this is how we celebrate it, whether he likes it or not.” I remember wanting to hide away at Christmas our first year here. I wanted to celebrate the way I was always used to. I wanted it to ‘feel’ like Christmas. I was frustrated that the church Christmas outreach was on Christmas Day, making time together as a family completely impossible. In other words, I was selfish about the whole thing. My focus was in the wrong place, by a long shot. I don’t know what makes this year so different for me, other than knowing that the Lord continually works in the hearts of those who love Him. This year I am actually excited about the church Christmas party. I’m looking forward to the soccer tournament that we’ll have to help us build relationships with our neighbors. I’m eager to attend a Christmas outreach at the small church of one of our friends, to see all the crazy non-traditional ways that they will celebrate this season in a way that they appreciate. I’m even enjoying the way that we all decorated the church a few weeks ago, with bright tinsel and every kind of metallic color of garland. With flashing colored lights and “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” signs gracing the entryway. As we decorated that day I took in all the color and wildness and watched the faces of the kids as they decorated. They were just as excited about this as I was about my own Christmas decorating traditions. I’m learning that just like language and culture, so my celebration of holidays in this country has to translate and transition so that I can truly embrace and understand the hearts of those we’re trying to reach with the message of God’s salvation.
