The best things in life aren't free ...

Aiden Enns is the publisher and co-editor of Geez magazine. He is also the founder of Buy Nothing Christmas, a national initiative started by Canadian Mennonites who believe Christmas shopping and Christianity are incompatible. We brought Aiden on the December 16 GodTalk Radio Show to spread a little Christmas cheer!

Before I go any further, a personal confession: I like buying Christmas presents. Christmas is a twelve-day celebration in my home (running from the Feast of Christmas on December 25 to the Feast of Epiphany on January 6). I give my wife one present for each of the twelve days of Christmas. I enjoy selecting the gifts, I can think of no one who deserves them more, and my wife, who expects little and demands even less, appreciates the extra attention and the small surprises each of the twelve days brings.

The above sounds like wanton excess to Aiden Enns, who suggested on air that I give my wife a back rub or a foot massage instead of jewelry, clothes, or electronics. Indeed, my wife would enjoy his suggestions, but I'm not prepared to join Aiden in his wholesale denunciation of materialism. We live in a material world, which was declared good by its Creator. Our material creations are manifestations of the imago Dei, proof that a Creator's spirit resides within us.

Where Aiden and I are more likely to agree is our disdain for consumerism. In North America, it is now commonplace to purchase things simply because they are available and affordable, instead of useful in any conceivable way. Consequently, North Americans either hoard their goods (leading to the rapid expansion of the self-storage industry) or casually throw them away.

Consumers need to start thinking like creators. We should buy only what allows us to nurture and express our creativity. We should approach buying gifts for others in the same way. I have a friend who has an ingenious formula for giving gifts: he presents musical instruments to people who cannot play them. Remarkably, most of the recipients acquire some mastery of the instrument. More importantly, a creative spark is ignited within them. I've seen some of those sparks fan into flames over the years.

The best things in life aren't free. The point isn't to buy nothing for Christmas. The point is to encourage and empower others to become creators instead of consumers. This Christmas, give gifts that inspire creativity in others. Your gifts will last a lifetime and leave an everlasting legacy.