I came across a website around this time last year. It was called Advent Conspiracy. Have you heard of it? What inspired me was the simple “call to action” it was advocating. It challenged us all to be smart about show we spent our money during the holiday season. It did not advocate that we boycott the shopping malls as a “Christian stand against consumerism.” It’s simple message asked us to remember, in our “buying choices,” what is truly important: Lifting up JESUS! And Jesus tells us to love one another. As followers of Jesus we are called to love our fellow brothers and sisters that make up humanity. Jesus’ life, and ultimately his death, modeled the intentionality we must demonstrate towards one another, locally and around the world.

I am excited about the holiday season because it gives us the perfect excuse to be intentional about “loving people” -reaching out to people we would normally never talk to, all because we just happen to run in different social circles. Not only that, what if we were more thoughtful about how we engaged them? Instead of just giving people gifts, why not invite them to partner with with you to bless someone else? Be as creative as you want! I am using the holiday season as an excuse to get dads in my neighborhood to spend more time with their kids doing stuff outside. In the process, I am getting to know and love my neighbors even better. Isn’t that kind of what Jesus would do? I am also inviting other triathletes, and swimmers to do a swim-a-thon with me to raise money to builds clean water wells in Africa.

The advent season has begun. Let’s use this season to love one another well, instead of making us-vs-them statements. Let’s put Jesus in front of us and let Him lead us into a life of joy and exhilaration to the point where we can barely catch our breath.
That’s what is truly exciting about this season. That’s what it looks like to make Jesus, the real reason for the season.

Who’s with me?

Check out the Advent Conspiracy:
http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Unity Through Diversity!