Warning: This video contains graphic 80's hair styles which may not be appropriate for children to view.
This performance is fascinating on many levels, but I find myself especially intrigued with the lyrics. From Bono's line "Tonight, thank God it's them instead of you" to "And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time" -- this song is misguided and disjointed to the point of being humorous. Yet, I found myself asking after the fourth refrain: Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Though ignorant of the global community's awareness of Christmas, I started thinking--is missing this particular Western celebration something to mourn? If so, do we "feel sorry" for the rest of the world simply because of their lack of material possessions? Well, if it's more than "stuff", is the occasion meaningful enough to me that I would recommend it to someone in Papua New Guinea or Bahrain?
Frankly, I prefer Thanksgiving as a holiday, and I think it's because I've fallen grump. Christmas is admittedly over-commercialized and overbooked, and my disgruntlement with the season is a direct result of not knowing how to fully escape these aspects of a potentially beautiful holiday. The inevitable bustling, decorating, presents, and hype should not be the extent of the Christmas experience. All of these should be on behalf of something deeper and--dare I say--lasting. My challenge to myself is to create a day or even a moment whose meaning and impact I would want anyone and everyone to experience.
This performance is fascinating on many levels, but I find myself especially intrigued with the lyrics. From Bono's line "Tonight, thank God it's them instead of you" to "And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time" -- this song is misguided and disjointed to the point of being humorous. Yet, I found myself asking after the fourth refrain: Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Though ignorant of the global community's awareness of Christmas, I started thinking--is missing this particular Western celebration something to mourn? If so, do we "feel sorry" for the rest of the world simply because of their lack of material possessions? Well, if it's more than "stuff", is the occasion meaningful enough to me that I would recommend it to someone in Papua New Guinea or Bahrain?
Frankly, I prefer Thanksgiving as a holiday, and I think it's because I've fallen grump. Christmas is admittedly over-commercialized and overbooked, and my disgruntlement with the season is a direct result of not knowing how to fully escape these aspects of a potentially beautiful holiday. The inevitable bustling, decorating, presents, and hype should not be the extent of the Christmas experience. All of these should be on behalf of something deeper and--dare I say--lasting. My challenge to myself is to create a day or even a moment whose meaning and impact I would want anyone and everyone to experience.
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