What Would Jesus Buy?

Depiction of Jesus from India as "True Teacher".

Now that the drooling peddlers of stuff are reminding everyone that there are only so many days until the celebration of the birth of Jesus (yes, that is what Christmas is really about), it is time for me to give my own annual reminder about Buy Nothing Christmas.

I have to wonder, would Buy Nothing Christmas get the Jesus seal of approval? Or would he want us to go into debt buying each other things we don't need? In his name?

I have to wonder, "What would Jesus buy?"

When you have understanding, wisdom, insight, purity, integrity and love, what else do you need? He would want nothing, would buy nothing. Except maybe for people to stop misrepresenting him in predatory consumeristic ways.

If Jesus were here today, I imagine he would be tolerantly miffed by our materialist ways, and would go about patiently re-teaching us the shortcomings of living a purely material-based life. However, I imagine he would forgive us with mercy and compassion, a couple of other things we obviously have not learned yet, Christians and non-Christians alike.

The gifts that Jesus and all other enlightened beings give humanity, are the lessons that lead to us to being free from greed, developing true friendship with all creatures, doing our duty regardless of consequences, being devoted to the Universe and each other, and practicing mindful concentration in order to rise above banal materialist lifestyles.

You can't buy such worthy gifts anywhere, despite what advertisers claim.

The true spirit of Christmas will not be found in any store. For that, we need to look within ourselves.