Blog Posts
New Lessons from the Grinch
Christmas was not, for me, a time of joy and happiness, and it certainly wasn’t yet about celebrating God in the flesh having been born among us. Christmas was just lonely and sad.
Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash
I wasn’t a fan of Christmas when I was a child. Christmas was, for me, a long, two-week winter break during which I felt disconnected from the settled routine of school, learning and friends that brought an escape from the troubles of home. My parents had their own struggles – my mother, with mental illness and my father, with alcoholism. Christmas was not, for me, a time of joy and happiness, and it certainly wasn’t yet about celebrating God in the flesh having been born among us.
Christmas was just lonely and sad.
Maybe that’s why I’ve always been drawn to Dr. Suess’ The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. As a child, I could identify with a Grinch who didn’t experience happiness at Christmas. The good news is the Grinch wasn’t stuck in his unhappy place; I needed to know that I wouldn’t be forever stuck in my own unhappy place, either.
As the years passed, I began to think a bit more critically about this beloved children’s tale – and whether its message was quite as simple as we all might like it to be.
The story introduces us to a Grinch who lived in seeming isolation above the Whos in Whoville, and with little interaction with them, save his growing annoyance with them every year at Christmas (apparently, only at Christmas), with their presents, and feasting, and oh-so-joyful singing and music-making. His annoyance grew so great, indeed, that it became an obsession: He needed to keep the Whos’ happy Christmas from coming, at all costs. And so the “mean one, Mr. Grinch” came down to Whoville and took all of the presents, the food, the decorations, the trappings, thinking that he had stopped Christmas from coming. But to the stunned Grinch’s surprise, the Whos still gathered together, holding hands and singing carols – just as if nothing had happened.
My own puzzler starts puzzling: Just why did the Whos’ happy celebration bother the Grinch so much? Maybe the Grinch was lonely, or felt excluded and cut off from celebrating the day with his Whoville neighbors. Maybe there was some sadness or loss that the Grinch associated with Christmas.
It didn’t appear that those Whos, for all of their joyful celebrating, had ever tried to include their Grinchy neighbor – who didn’t look at all like them, or act like them – by inviting him to join their celebration, or taking him a gift, a plate of their Roast Beast feast, or even a can of Who-Hash.
It seems that the Whos paid no attention to the Grinch at all – that is, until he came down to pay them an unexpected – and, no doubt unwanted – visit.
Maybe the Whos didn’t really understand Christmas, either, not nearly so much as they (or we) thought. Maybe its message had eluded them, just as it had eluded the Grinch.
Perhaps if the Whos had initiated contact with their isolated neighbor, to invite him to share in their joyful celebration, they might truly have shown that they understood the message of Christmas. It’s the very act of radical hospitality that the Whos showed after the Grinch came down to Whoville, after he returned their presents, food and decorations – inviting him to join their celebration, and even to carve the Roast Beast – that helped release him from the unhappy place where he was stuck and gave him a new lease on life.
But the Grinch shouldn’t have had to invite himself to the community by attempting to ruin their celebration – and taking all that the Whos had – in order to get their attention.
All grown up now, and part of the organized Church, I find myself thinking about those Whos – and the larger lesson for faith communities, particularly in a post-COVID world. Here’s what I think: However festively we celebrate our traditions, however joyfully we sing our hymns, however piously we display our faith, if we fail to acknowledge the presence of the neighbor who sits just beyond our doors – the neighbor whom we see but whose story isn’t known to us, the neighbor who may not look like us, the neighbor who may not know our traditions, the neighbor who may be completely alone and struggling – we pay lip service to what we claim that we believe.
After the past two years of sickness, grief, loss, and, of course, the broken habit of church attendance, faith communities are struggling to find their identity and footing. Some churches have closed permanently during this season of our lives because there simply aren’t enough churchgoers to continue to support them. Some churchgoers have indefinitely postponed a return to worship and church activities, while other churchgoers have made no plans to return. And when the habit of worship was broken, some moved on to other activities.
About now, our faith communities should be discerning new ways to connect with suffering neighbors to extend some invitations to holy and radical hospitality. About now, our faith communities should be discerning how we serve in a vastly different environment – and how we visibly demonstrate our relevance as bearers of the love of God and the light of Christ in a broken, fractured world. If ever there were a time that the world needed to see the Church as a unifier, as a place of welcome and caring for all of God’s people, as a place committed to loving neighbor, and as a place of holy hospitality, this is the time. Our buildings are replete with places and spaces to welcome new ministries – to help address needs around food insecurity, childcare, literacy, addiction recovery, mental health, physical exercise, legal aid, immigration support, employment networking, community music lessons – that bring healing of body, mind and spirit to neighbors who desperately need to know that we’re there.
It’s that kind of invitation to radical hospitality that we in our faith communities should prayerfully discern – right about now – so that our neighbors aren’t left to struggle alone.
Rev. Dr. Dorothy Sanders Wells
The Rev. Dr. Dorothy Sanders Wells is an Episcopal priest who often writes about justice and equity issues for God's people.
Church Anew is dedicated to igniting faithful imagination and sustaining inspired innovation by offering transformative learning opportunities for church leaders and faithful people.
As an ecumenical and inclusive ministry of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, the content of each Church Anew blog represents the voice of the individual writer and does not necessarily reflect the position of Church Anew or St. Andrew Lutheran Church on any specific topic.
Disabled…I mean, Home for the Holidays!
Photo by Ysaias Martinez on Unsplash
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for most. At the same time, others are caught in a wintery mix of emotions, while navigating our greatest traumas and fears. Many of us sit with the fear of abandonment, the fear of rejection, the fear of judgment, and the fear of lack every year around the holiday season.
In 2019, AAA estimated a record-breaking 115.6 million Americans traveled during the holiday season. This year, we are set to break that record! The CDC is already nervous about the “burden” of the flu due to Covid and its lingering impact. Family members do not always have the compassion and sensitivity to meet the needs of loved ones with chronic conditions of the body and mind. Rather, we get lumped into a one-size-fits all onesie, or Santa hat, or holiday meal.
People in the disability community feel the weight of these realities in an intense way. Often folks with disabilities are forgotten when arrangements are being made, while meals are being carefully crafted and sometimes rendered invisible when it comes to harmful language and dialogue being used amongst family and friends. The holidays can feel like the most broken, most obnoxious, and most triggering time of year. However just as we celebrate joy, peace, and faith during this season…may we also celebrate hope.
Hope is defined in a number of ways:
to cherish a desire with anticipation : to want something to happen or be true
trust
to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment
to expect with confidence : trust
I am praying we lean into a hope this year, where we cherish and desire to be in right relationship with the people around us. A hope that is anchored in a newfound trust in one another. A hope that is rooted in all God’s children living more wholly this season; while in the workplace, enjoying festivities outside or simply kickin’ it at home by the fire.
James Baldwin wrote in a 1962 article, As Much Truth as One Can Bear, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” While those of us in the disability community may not be able to change our conditions, the people who love us can shift their perspective, actions and focus to create more accessible home environments. The more accessible home environments created, the more accessible our communities become. The more accessible our communities become, the more accessible the world becomes. This for me, and so many others living with chronic conditions of the body and mind, would be A Christmas Miracle!
Here are some ways for all of us to stay safe(r) this holiday season:
Remember YOU are the authority on your experience. No one has the right to critique your experience of joy, pain, discomfort or grief.
Practice agency in moments you normally would not. Some of us lose the power of our voices when placed in uncomfortable situations. Not this year!
Have grace for your internal experience AND the experiences of others. Perhaps, they didn’t show up for you as a child because they didn’t know how to show up for themselves. We don’t have to allow abuse anymore, but who can we view with new eyes filled with grace this season?
Take a break. Take a few moments away from the larger group. Take a breather from that heavy conversation. Take a break from the monotonous Christmas tunes. Take a break from your own nervousness around the holidays. Breathe in and take a break!
Let us all, no matter our physical ability, shift our focus to accessibility. Accessibility is how we reach more people with the love of God and the good news that there is in fact room in the Inn. The great news that none of us have to be left out (in the cold) or in subpar conditions because space wasn't prepared for us.
The word nativity is defined as: on the occasion of a person’s birth. What if we transform the “Nativity” scene from an ancient festive occurrence to a modern-day miracle for family and friends? This holiday season let us celebrate the light and life of Jesus by birthing safe(r) spaces for community to gather. Let us become deeply mindful of our words and how we do harm, even when we have everyone’s best interest at heart.
Remember these are holy days, or as I like to think of them, the Wholly Days. The greatest gift may not be peace on earth this year, but rather, keeping peace within.
Sources:
Emma Edmonds, Director of Communications, 2019: AAA Says 115.6 Million Travelers will Break Holiday Records | AAA Newsroom
Definition of Hope: Hope Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
CDC: 2022-2023 U.S. Flu Season: Preliminary In-Season Burden Estimates | CDC
Baldwin Quote: Justice Quote: James A. Baldwin — Justice Innovation Lab
Rev. YaNi Davis
Iyana “YaNi” Davis, is a graduate of Claremont School of Theology with her Masters of Divinity. Rev. YaNi received her B.A. from Spelman College, with an English degree. YaNi has always been passionate about the impact of words, storytelling, truth-telling and the therapeutic nature of writing one’s words and sharing one’s story. YaNi believes firmly in our power as storytellers and sets this example everyday of her life as a coach, creative and community leader. YaNi’s methodology is known as “Wholly Hip-Hop Hermeneutics” and includes the power of Nommo, Black liberation theology and is intermixed with the culture of Hip-Hop!
Rev. YaNi, is a minister with The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and has been a featured speaker, poet and teaching-artist around the United States, throughout Europe and across Asia. YaNi uses her words wisely as a Hip Hop artist, an inspiring speaker, an effective educator, a profound poet, a modern day prophet and griot. She has shared the stage with top performers, theologians, creatives, and healers around the world, an honor that she does not take lightly. YaNi is the founder of, My SupaNatural Life, an organization that provides education and wholistic care for people living with disabilities and their caregivers.
YaNi has founded several spiritual communities/churches around the country, is the author of, Love Poems for Peace, is a kidney transplant survivor and near completion of a second masters (Professional Studies-Business of Art and Design) via Maryland Institute College of Art. YaNi is the essence of peace personified!
Website
Church Anew is dedicated to igniting faithful imagination and sustaining inspired innovation by offering transformative learning opportunities for church leaders and faithful people.
As an ecumenical and inclusive ministry of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, the content of each Church Anew blog represents the voice of the individual writer and does not necessarily reflect the position of Church Anew or St. Andrew Lutheran Church on any specific topic.