"I'll have a McGod to go, please!"

by Fr. John Dresko

A s we begin our celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, we are also ending our preparation for this celebration in the Nativity Fast. The Orthodox Church has always been a Church that prepares and fulfills. All the Great and Holy Feasts of the Church have a "prefeast" that announces the coming celebration. Following the fulness of the celebration in the feast, there is a "postfeast" period, where we gradually move back to "normal." So the Nativity Fast has been a time to "prepare to receive" or, better yet, "prepare to fulfill." But the question that must challenge every Christian is "receive what?" or "fulfilled by what?"

In a recent study of American "habits," one of the most habitual acts in which an American engages, television watching, came out on top of the list of "things to do" in which we spend the most time. The average American now watches almost eight hours of television per day! Put into perspective, as much time is spent on television as at our jobs! I thought about that for awhile and then thought of all the other little "things to do" in which Americans engage. When we get into our cars, we turn on the radio. When we "read," it is the newspaper (perhaps only the funnies or sports), or the latest by Stephen King, Tom Clancy or some other popular contemporary author. Our entertainment in America is rapidly being reduced to renting a bunch of videotapes and paying homage to the great video god, perhaps taking time out for an hour and a half of church on Sunday mornings. Our favorite food is junk food with McDonald's being far and away the greatest "feeder" of America. We grow impatient when the microwave is on the fritz or takes three minutes instead of two. Our Christian "efforts," like prayer, meditation on the Scriptures, fasting and almsgiving, make no "waves" in our lives, create no difficulties. In short, contemporary Americans have become passive receivers ­ content to simply sit and let things "bombard" us. We passively receive anything that comes along, getting the majority of our current political, moral, and ethical opinions from the likes of Geraldo Rivera, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Ruth. And, ultimately, we expect God to come to us the same way. Americans would like nothing better than to drive up to the Old McDonald's Church of Junk Spirituality (drive-thru window, of course), and fill up on light, non-threatening faith.

But the simple fact of the matter is that a Christian cannot be a passive receiver. From the very first moment of the Incarnation of Christ, which we celebrate this month, a Christian has been called to be an active receiver. It is literally impossible for a Christian to try to become Godlike by sitting and letting God "soak in" by osmosis. A Christian must work out his or her faith by truly following Christnot sitting and watching Him. Jesus Himself told the young man who wanted salvation, "sell everything, give it to the poor, and follow me." It takes action. From His birth, Jesus begs Christians to be active"give, pray, follow, repent, fast, be thankful, etc." But we contemporary Christians think that the Life of Christ and the Life of the Church is like The Life of Riley a television program. We can simply sit back, watch, enjoy, absorb, and then go to heaven.

The biggest mistake a Christian can make is to assume that God will act for us. He never forces a Christian to accept anything. We can try to reduce our faith to mere formality, but it doesn't work the Word of God is constantly challenging us and provoking our thoughts and actions to perfection. Coming to church every Sunday, praying, fasting, even receiving the Eucharist these acts will never lead us to heaven by themselves. Only when we have made a conscious choice to accept Christ in our lives totally, completely and without condition, can we approach the Kingdom that has been prepared for us. We must never forget the starkly graphic example of the Icon of the Nativity of Christ if we remove Jesus, all that is left in the picture is a big, black hole. And we consistently try to remove Him. Our Christmas would not "be" Christmas without such things as Christmas trees, Bing Crosby, presents, It's a Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas, egg nog, mistletoe, and Santa Claus. Remove those, and it simply would be a dreadful Christmas. Somehow, we muster up a "spirit" of Christmas without Christ.

So our Nativity Fast has been a preparation to receive. What kind of preparation? A fast denying "things" to ourselves, things that die and turn back to dust like other things of creation, in order to replace them with something else. In its place, we receive the King of Glory ­ a true King, a loving King, a glorious King not the tin kings we accept so readily today. Just as the earth offered a cave almost 2,000 years ago, and received the King of Glory who came wrapped in swaddling clothes, so too we must on this Holy Day clean out our hearts and make a place for the King of Glory. But He truly comes and truly dwells with us only if we truly let Him reign. He must take back His Kingdom from all the false kings we have set up on His Throne.

As we celebrate this truly remarkable day ­ a day when the Son of God became a man ­ may the true and abiding Spirit of Christmas be with all of us who gather in His Name!