Advent Conspiracy - Christmas Can Still Change The World

I found this link in my twitter stream the other day and it intrigued me that there could be some kind of secret conspiracy behind Advent, that liturgical season I love so much. I've never been one to shy away from a good conspiracy (growing up my dad always had well-worn copies of the Enquirer, The News and other reputable papers with pictures of bat-boy and aliens shaking hands with the President on the front page). A click or two took me to the Advent Conspiracy homepage (this is BIG folks...an entire section of the www is dedicated to this stuff!) where I found the following video;





If that isn't intriguing enough with it's secret plot to undermine the Christmas Machine for all time, their manifesto outlines things even more clearly;

Nobody wants a Christmas worth forgetting. The concept behind Advent Conspiracy is simple...

Worship Fully - It starts with Jesus. It ends with Jesus. This is the holistic approach God had in mind for Christmas. It’s a season where we are called to put down our burdens and lift a song up to our God. It’s a season where love wins, peace reigns, and a king is celebrated with each breath. It’s the party of the year. Entering the story of advent means entering this season with an overwhelming passion to worship Jesus to the fullest.

Spend Less - Before you think we’re getting all Scrooge on you, let us explain what we mean. We like gifts. Our kids really like gifts. But consider this: America spends an average of $450 billion a year every Christmas. How often have you spent money on Christmas presents for no other reason than obligation? How many times have you received a gift out of that same obligation? Thanks, but no thanks, right? We’re asking people to consider buying ONE LESS GIFT this Christmas. Just one.  Sounds insignificant, yet many who have taken this small sacrifice have experienced something nothing less than a miracle: They have been more available to celebrate Christ during the advent season.

Give More - God’s gift to us was a relationship built on love. So it’s no wonder why we’re drawn to the idea that Christmas should be a time to love our friends and family in the most memorable ways possible. Time is the real gift Christmas offers us, and no matter how hard we look, it can’t be found at the mall. Time to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom. Time to write mom a letter. Time to take the kids sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make love visible through relational giving. Sounds a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too big, right?

Love All - When Jesus loved, He loved in ways never imagined. Though rich, he became poor to love the poor, the forgotten, the overlooked and the sick. He played to the margins. By spending less at Christmas we have the opportunity to join Him in giving resources to those who need help the most. When Advent Conspiracy first began four churches challenged this simple concept to its congregations. The result raised more than a half million dollars to aid those in need. One less gift. One unbelievable present in the name of Christ.

My final investigations into this mysterious underground movement led me to the radically subversive site rethinkingchristmas.com, with it's seemingly endless lists of alternative giving ideas and diy gifts that cost little to nothing in cash but fairly scream out one's personal interest and investment in your loved ones lives.

All in all, as crazy as it may sound, it seems there is indeed a conspiracy afoot. What else can you call it when a mysterious, elite group of individuals begin a nearly viral movement to turn one of the most important seasons of our liturgical year on it's head?

Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself and you'll see it is indeed an honest to goodness Advent Conspiracy!

Peace and God Bless

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Water For All, Let Justice Flow!

The Fall campaign for the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace has begun. The focus for the year is on the preservation of access to publicly funded sources of fresh water for all persons.

There are tons of resources for anyone wanting information on the struggle the majority of the world's population has in maintaining ready access to clean, safe drinking water. Below you will find a couple of videos from Development and Peace highlighting the challenges many face, the problems inherent in supporting the privatization of water sources including the bottled water industry, and exactly what you and I can do to help.

Some quick facts about bottled water from Development and Peace;

*The Water in My bottle is purer; false: 25 per cent of bottled water sold in Canada comes directly from a public tap before being reprocessed. That is the case for Pepsi’s Aquafina and Coke's Dasani bottled water.

*My bottle of water is expensive; true: A litre of bottled water can cost up to 2,000 times more than a litre of tap water. Between 10 and 15 per cent of the price of a bottle of water can go just to cover marketing. Would you be willing to pay 2,000 times more for your coffee or your sandwich?

*The water in My bottle is safer; false: The water in a major Canadian city might be tested over 120,000 times a year. By contrast, bottled water is often not tested at all. Companies are not
required to comply with voluntary testing programs. Since 2008, the federal government has inspected only six per cent of all water bottling plants.

*In the north, more and more people are giving up bottled water. now companies are focusing their efforts on developing new markets, this time in the Global south, by privatizing many water sources.

*North Americans use an average of 565 litres of water each day while millions of people in the Global South use less than 20 litres.

*Women in the Global South walk an average of six kilometres to fetch water.

*In 15 years, 1.8 billion people will be living in regions where water is a scarce resource.

*In many countries in the Global South, more than half of the urban population must buy bottled water as its sole source of drinking water.

The Following Short Videos Help Expand on these topics even more;





What Can You Do?

Sign the pledge on-line to support access to water for everyone

Check out D&P's Action Sheet – Water for all, let justice flow !

Campaign Tabloid 2010
A newspaper with stories on the issues covered in our five-year theme. It explores Development and Peace’s relationship to social movements.

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