Advent: doors in the Mind

Startling story of someone crushed to death on sale day at a Wal-Mart on Long Island. This is not the first time something like this has happened at such a place. With Christmas coming on, are there any alternatives out there to mindless consumerism?

In the US buynothingchristmas attemps to introduce some sense of sanity and proportion. Over here the Church of England has its own highly recommended website, whywearewaiting helps put the waiting back into wanting, with a brilliant, thoughtful and practical reflection from Rowan:

One or two people this week from the broader community have come across the site, and said how much they thnk it could help them think through an alternative run-up to Christmas to the usual clapped out desperate frantic activity.

As for me, I’m greatly loking forward to Advent with Sephen Cottrell’s Advent book, Do Nothing Christmas is coming. It’s a simple, good humoured practical countdown resource.
That doesn’t mean short on ideas. At one point he quotes Bertrand Russell:

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.

What is provided is a daily opportunity to stand back from all that, and think. The text isn’t not preachy or specific in any way to particularly religious people. Each day starts with a daily snatch of ordinary conversation that captures one aspect of the season, with ideas and comment from Stephen, then some questions to help reflection. I don’t suppose doing it will take more than a five minutes a day.

This book is not, however, a comprehensive Bible Study resource, so I’ve loaded the iPhone with an application that supplemets the usual daily office with Bible themes.

(h/t Ottawa Raging Grans for the pic)