Today, the Dancing Pig would like to feature the writing of a good friend, Pearl Girl. Enjoy!
A
Reflection on Birthday Celebrations
For
some, it is welcomed as the one day a year that brings greetings from loved
ones near and far by phone calls, cards, or presents. Some dread it as the annual day that marks their journey in
life one step closer to old age or death.
In the US, birthdays are usually celebrated from birth with family and
friends rejoicing in the milestone of the celebrant making it through one more
year of life. As Christians, what
should be our attitude toward birthday celebrations? Should they be simply accepted as a benign part of
contemporary culture or is there another view that can be gleaned from Jesus’
example?
As
we consider birthdays, let us look to Jesus’ example as we do in all aspects of
life. The celebration of Jesus’s
birth was centered on God’s loving gift of salvation and life to the
world. It was not focused on Jesus
receiving gifts, rather it was about the Father giving him to us. Jesus did not take one day out of the
year to honor himself, rather he daily spent his life honoring his Father. His birth and his death - and all of
the days in between - brought honor and glory to his Father.
Contrary to this,
our birthday celebrations are self-centered. American birthdays center around receiving gifts and compliments. The celebrant is honored for who they
are, and loved ones treat the celebrant on that day. In China, while birthday celebrants treat their friends and
family to celebrate, the focus is still on the celebrant and not on God, the
giver of life. As birthday
celebrations become more and more extravagant over the years, it is worthwhile
to pause and think about the purpose behind all of the effort in celebrating
birthdays.
I remember one
friend’s Mother who said that birthdays should celebrate the Mother because she
is the one who gave birth. Perhaps
there is a grain of truth to this notion - that birthdays should not be
self-centered but instead help us to look beyond ourselves and give thanks and
honor to He who gave us life. At
birth, we had not done anything deserving honor. Moreover, all that we are and are able to do are by the
grace of our Creator. Birthdays,
therefore, should cause us to reflect on the great blessings we have received
from God and give him praise.
Perhaps we have
birthdays backwards, just like love.
In the media, love is often understood as receiving; it is a romantic,
exhilarating feeling of being lavishly showered with attention and affection by
another. Less often is it
described as the sacrificial love of a mother, daily changing diapers, feeding,
and caring for her child. By
Jesus’s example, we learn that love is chiefly something to be given rather
than received. We are able to love
God and others out of the outpouring of his love for us; He is the source of
our love. True love is sacrifice;
it is measured by the costly price of giving oneself for another.
As we Christians
strive to glorify God in all aspects of life, how do birthday celebrations fit
in? Perhaps birthdays should not
be about the celebrant but rather about rejoicing in the good work that God has
done in one’s life. Ideally, this
attitude of thanksgiving and praise to God should not be reserved for one day a
year, but it should be a daily practice to honor God. Finally, if a birthday is to be celebrated, it should be a
day of giving of oneself to others rather than receiving. Just as Jesus spent his life giving
himself in service to people, likewise, as Christians we are to learn to do the
same. One’s birthday, then, should
be a day just like any other: one that glorifies God for what He has done.
