"Keeping Christmas" (Allison Pittman)

TITLE: Keeping Christmas: 25 Advent Reflections on A Christmas Carol
AUTHOR: Allison Pittman
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2020, (128 pages).

Come each Christmas, modern people would associate the event with shopping and year-end festivities. Many would also go back to watching classic movies like "It's a Wonderful Life," "Miracle on 34th Street," "A Charlie Brown Christmas," or "A Christmas Carol." Why do we enjoy old classics? Is there any reason for celebrating Christmas the old traditional way? Perhaps, the answer ought to be another question: "Why not?" CS Lewis has warned us about "chronological snobbery" to remind us not to let the everything-new jettison the everything-old. Not all new stuff is great. Not all old stuff is outdated. There are many things that are timeless and helps us appreciate life. Great stories are always worth telling and retelling from generation to generation. The lessons of old are essential for guiding learners, both old and new. More importantly, the lessons are reminders of how we are the old made new. Based on 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, the 25 devotionals remind us of how Scrooge was a life that was transformed, one day at a time, until that eventful Christmas Eve. This book is an Advent devotional to highlight such timeless principles daily for 25 days prior to Christmas. 

From the first week, the author examines Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" and deals with issues of death and dying; secrecy and solitary living; misery and loneliness; and so on. Redemptive moments were missed even as dear old Scrooge refuses to open up his clenched fists and a stubborn heart. By the middle of the second week, the aperture opens up to let in visions of Christ and the growing necessity to let God enter into the hardened heart. Healing begins albeit gradually. Readers would turn each page to see a transformation from bitter to sweet; miserly to generosity; selfishness to sincerity; rejection to welcome; and most importantly salvation. Each of the 25 readings has a Bible reference to anchor readers on the Bible. 

My Thoughts

What a creative way to experience an Advent devotional through the story of the character Scrooge. Christmas is a wonderful time to take stock of our year that is going to pass. While it directly describes the miserly and grumpy attitude of the character, it indirectly tells readers to examine their hearts as well, to see if there is any Scrooge within us. We are challenged to be honest and to courageously deal with them. We ask ourselves: "What is the Christmas Spirit?" It is about letting Christ come into our hearts to change us. It is not about being changed from bad to good, but from dying to living. In fact, 1 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that we are already dead, spiritually. Be warned about the Ebenezer Scrooge in us. 

Apart from the mirror of self-examination, readers can learn about the positive impact of generosity and love. Scrooge the transformed man goes beyond the conventional definition of generosity. Instead of merely giving, he gives of the best. He gives anonymously. He gives joyfully. These attributes are rare even among those of us who regularly wrap gifts for the Christmas occasion. We all need a transformation from good to better, and from better to the best versions of ourselves. When it comes to love, we see the transformation of Scrooge from just talking about love to the practice of charity. Just as 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, the growth of a person from child to adult parallels the growth of spirituality from faith and hope toward love. The Christmas Spirit is one that is an exhibition of Christlikeness in all that we think, say, and do. 

Let me say a few words about the title of the book. The author explains the title only on Day 25 of the book. He describes the reasons for choosing Charles Dickens's novel and the character Scrooge to highlight the Advent devotional themes. The key reason for keeping Christmas is because we all need to. There is a degree of Scrooge in every one of us, some more, others less. It is the hope that if a miserly person like Scrooge could be changed from the inside out, so could we. In contrast to the popular use of "celebrating" Christmas, the word "keeping" enables us to embrace the deeper meaning of Christmas. The former might come across as a one-off year-end endeavour while the latter encourages us to maintain the Christmas spirit throughout the year. For that reason, I would say this book should not simply be restricted to December. It could be an all-season devotional. Why? It's because the various spiritual themes are timeless and relevant. 

Allison Pittman is the bestselling and award-winning author of several novels, including Stealing Home, Loving Luther, and The Seamstress, as well as the nonfiction Saturdays with Stella. A four-time Christy Award finalist and two-time RITA finalist, Pittman is the winner of a Carol Award and of the Mentor of the Year Award from American Christian Fiction Writers. A devout bibliophile, Pittman currently teaches English part-time at her church's private Christian school, illuminating the Christian worldview found in all manner of literature, both sacred and secular. What are the strengths and weaknesses?

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Books and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.