What if the way you lead your family to celebrate this Christmas ends up changing the world? Such may seem like a far-fetched possibility, because we all know there are countless ways to celebrate this holiday. A quick internet search of Christmas traditions gives more ideas and possibilities than we can possibly incorporate into our homes. We can go all out or keep it simple for Christmas. But, what if, this year, we intentionally lead our families into a Christmas that changes history? That may sound impossible, but it’s exactly what happened in a German home in the late 1800s.
As a child in Germany, a young Gerhard Lang had a creative or, at least, thoughtful mom. By this point in history, Advent was a fairly well-known religious tradition, especially in Europe. Yet, Gerhard’s mom took the burgeoning Advent tradition one step further. She created an Advent calendar marking each day of December with tasty treats. Whether these were cookies, meringues or German wibele, Gerhard got to enjoy one each December day leading up to Christmas. His inspiring mother, maybe just an ordinary German housewife, ended up impacting not just her son, but the whole world. She changed history – – – and we can go to almost any store at Christmas and find that such is so.
The Impact of a Life
Now, history does not tell us exactly what Frau Lang’s theology was or where she went to church. We don’t know her first name or her cookie recipe. We can’t see pictures of her Advent calendar design or know what their family’s Christmas celebration looked like. What we do know is that her son Gerhard Lang grew up to publish the world‘s first commercially printed Advent calendar. And here’s the thing: his original calendar was not focussed on elves or Santa, Christmas trees or secular traditions. Gerhard Lang’s Advent calendar was about the biblical Christmas story.
Seems that what Frau Lang had spoken into her child’s life as they celebrated Christmas when he was young became what he spoke into others’ lives as an adult. Ultimately, their family Christmas tradition ended up impacting the whole world.
Lang’s original Advent calendars, which he sold in the early 1900s, highlighted Scripture and pieces of the Christmas story, each day of the Christmas season. For about two decades, he continued to create Advent calendar designs that helped people engage the next generation with Christmas, including the Advent calendar called “In the Land of the Christ Child.”
Advent Derailed
So successful were Gerhard Lang’s Advent calendars, that, when the Nazis took over Germany, they took the Advent calendar idea to a whole new level (or, shall we say, low). The Third Reich destroyed as many of these Christian Advent calendars as they could find and created new ones. Their new “advent” calendars were about guns and tanks, ammunition and Nazi propaganda. The Third Reich printed and distributed these calendars freely to mothers so that they could train their children, not in knowing the Christ of Christmas, but in the Nazi mindset.
Fast-forward through the decades to this Christmas. The advent calendar idea continues to be used and celebrated in our own culture. However, whereas Advent is traditionally a journey of worship and spiritual anticipation, now advent is also a 24-day commercialized adventure in activities like tasting chocolate, trying on make-up samples, sipping wine options, or opening little daily presents. Businesses capitalize on their variations of advent, literally. Just like Nazi Germany absconded with the real reason for Advent, so too the majority of today’s advent calendars.
A New Understanding of Advent Journey
This year, I began digging more deeply into the Advent calendar tradition. Though the history is not entirely clear, in the midst of study, I found Gerhard Lang’s story. As I thought about his Advent calendar success and looked at some pictures of his original calendars, I contemplated the person who inspired it all: his mother. Gerhard’s creativity surely sprung forth from his mother’s intentionality.
What she entrusted to him, he entrusted to the next generation. Yes, he capitalized on it, started a business from it and made some pfennigs (money) off it. However, let’s not overlook from whence his idea came.
Frau Lang taught her son the Christmas story, and he figured out a way to teach others, too. Turns out, the way she led her family to celebrate Christmas changed history.
That speaks to me. That compels me to think of my own family and friends. That inspires me to figure out what I can do to teach and inspire the next generation entrusted to me, too. Most of my kids are grown up now and our family is expanding with our first grandchild on his way. In addition to our own family, I have others whose lives are entrusted to me, too. As I think about all of these precious people and their walks with the Lord, I think about what it looks like to make the Christmas experience more meaningful for them, not just for traditions’ sake, but for Jesus’ sake.
My goal is to help those entrusted to me find the Christ in Christmas. Frau Lang apparently helped her son do that, and her idea changed the world.
Meet with God and Make Him Known
What if this Christmas we, too, ask the Lord how to impact our own families and friends with the truth of God’s Word? What if we deliberately meet with God and then intentionally make Him known to those entrusted to us this Christmas?
We may not create an idea as captivating as an Advent calendar. However, I absolutely believe that we, too, can impact those God has entrusted to us as we creatively share about God and His Word.
Let’s face it, Christmas cards don’t change the world. Christmas decorations, stockings and cookies don’t change the world. Christmas carols and gifts don’t change the world. These are all wonderful and absolutely enjoyable, and I highly recommend every single one of these traditions. However, ultimately, only one thing – that is, one Person – changes the world. And the world changer is the Christ of Christmas. However we celebrate Christmas, He must be the center of our holiday.
If we want a world-changing Christmas, then we are going to figure out creative ways in our own homes and lives to include the Christ of Christmas.
That, in my humble opinion, is the most important foundation of Advent, no matter what our calendar looks like.
Be encouraged! ❤️
Tosha
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203501304577084483697858766
https://www.germanschoolcampus.com/der-adventskalender/
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