Has Capitalism Ruined Christmas?

        New York City is portrayed as what many would call “The Jingle Bell City” through many movies and shows relating to Christmas and other end of the year celebrations. Living in New York City during winter can be grueling with strong freezing winds and snow that looks like charcoal, but there’s one thing not even the Grinch can deny, the beauty of New York City during Christmas time. As I was walking out of Fordham Lincoln Center today, I noticed a beautiful Nativity Scene displayed right in the Main entrance to campus.

         Looking at this gorgeous yet humble piece made me realize the humble reasons why we celebrate this glorious holiday. On December 25^th billions of people across the world gather up with their families and relatives to celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. Christmas is a time of family reunion, a time where Christians come together to celebrate what can be seen as the start of their religion, the start of their calendar. This isn’t the case in many Christmas celebrations we see today. Capitalism has changed the reasons why people celebrate Christmas. People aren’t celebrating the birth of our savior, but the expensive gifts they are being given. Capitalism is ruining Christmas. The overwhelming majority of people spend thousands of dollars decorating houses and public spaces and not for a second think why they’re actually doing it. In the cab ride home I kept thinking about this issue and I couldn’t stop thinking about Dorothy day and her critiques against capitalism and over extravagant lifestyles.

            Dorothy Day as we all know left a life full of luxuries and riches to one with the bear minimum, in order to suffer and help others. She devoted her life to the idea that everyone should be equal and no one should live a life of un-necessary luxuries. As we drove down 5^th avenue I kept noticing how this once humble celebration. I kept asking my-self why has capitalism attacked such a holly holiday. As I was pulling into my building I noticed this huge Christmas tree decorated in fine arrangements. I normally would’ve walked right by it, maybe think to my-self: “oh this is nice.” And carry on with my day, but today I stopped and thought, do people even know why we celebrate this holiday. Is capitalism the only reason why this tree looks so grand or is it truly the community’s love for Jesus?

            Judging from what I know about my fellow neighbors, I think this tree looks like this because of the fancier is better mindset a lot of them have. This tree doesn’t celebrate our Saviors birth in any way nor does it tie back with the religion. It’s the cause of a capitalistic, money hungry society that will exploit everything including the birth of our Savior. Though it is grand and luxurious, it is empty, and holds no merit. As Dorothy Day felt when she was living her extravagant life. The humble nativity scene truly represents Christmas and what Christmas is all about. Thanks to this course I am able to automatically address these issues and truly understand why things are how they are. It has given me background in order to analyze this current situation in real life. 

SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT

As I was walking along the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, I fell under the mammoth cross that looms over Saint Paul’s House Mission on west 51st street. The neon giant practically yells out “SIN WILL FIND YOU” in block letters. As I passed by the cross I couldn’t help but feel a bit threatened, singled out.  It seemed to know all of my deepest secrets, regrets, and wrongdoings, and blame me for them. With such an aggressive display, I wondered what kind of establishment Saint Paul’s House could possibly be. Upon further research, I discovered that it was food pantry and neighborhood center. I was baffled as to why they would choose this imposing cross as an emblem for their mission house. Were people supposed to find comfort and warmth under this monstrosity?

 For ages, humans have been terrified of sin. We claim to be obsessed with morality and truth, so we welcome the idea of an omnipotent, all-knowing God that watches over us, and makes us live our best, individual life. While standing on under Saint Paul’s cross, I couldn’t help but feel that God was watching and judging me. I wondered why anyone would choose to subscribe to this version of God.  Then it occurred to me. When humans are individually called upon to be their best self, they are likely to do so. Niebuhr argues a similar concept. He says in his book Moral Man and Immoral Society, that humans are less sinful individually, than in groups. He stresses the need for personal responsibility to lead to a better society, rather than focusing on society itself. This goal makes a lot of sense, because at the end of the day the only thing you can concretely change in the world is yourself. I now realize why we care so much about sin, and seek out an ever-present, somewhat intimidating God. The feeling I got while standing under Saint Paul’s cross was good for me. It made me evaluate my actions, and put pressure on me to make moral decisions. Singling out an individual in this manner may seem abrasive, but it promotes heightened self-awareness.

If we have a bit of fear that “sin will find [us] out” it’s beneficial to our own life, and society as a whole. Perhaps there is something positive to take from the almighty, harsh concept of God which I’d always associated with paranoia and self-loathing. For as I stood under the cross’s neon shadow, I felt as if I was being held accountable. I genuinely considered what malicious actions I’ve committed recently, and whether they were worth it. As we grow up, we reject any notion of a parental figure, who can influence our decisions, or hold us liable. Sometimes that’s exactly what we need though. A threatening moral judge, who reminds us that our actions truly do carry weight in the world. That night I finally called my best friend who I had been ignoring for a month. I knew I’d wronged her, and was punishing her for my own mistakes. We talked and patched things up. Had it not been reminded of my sinfulness, which always comes back to bite me, I may have never made that decision

OY / YO

  While walking in Williamsburg some time ago, I came across a statue by the waterfront. The statue, which is located off of North 6th Street by the East River, can be viewed from both Brooklyn and Manhattan. It is hard to miss as it is bright yellow and spells the word “OY” or “YO” depending on your position. It wasn’t until I was given this assignment that I began to think about what the sculpture was actually trying to say. One can interpret it by just looking at the obvious messages. “Oy” is the shortened form of “Oy vey iz mir” which comes from Yiddish and means “oh, woe is me”. While on the other side “Yo” is Spanish for “I”. These words may seem unrelated at first, but the artist must have found them important, because she put the time and effort into making a giant aluminum statue. The artist Deborah Kass is Jewish so the Yiddish interpretation has a closer connection to her. Yet, she has stated that both interpretations are correct and were intended for the sculpture. Personally, I think the statue is conveying a message about culture and religion in New York City and America as a whole. With just two letters the statue brings together two cultures, both with historically different religious backgrounds. While the Yiddish exclamation obviously connects the statue to Judaism, the Spanish word brings to mind predominantly Catholic roots. Through this sculpture Kass shows Judaism and Catholicism can coexist in one entity, one work of art. The statue itself is a mirror image of the city of New York. The city itself is filled with people of all different backgrounds. It was once the place that immigrants would begin their journey in America. It is a place where we can coexist with one another. Even though the United States and New York City are truly a melting pot of cultures, many groups have faced persecution due to their beliefs or background. Since the sculpture is located in a prominent location and can be seen from two boroughs, it can be seen as assertion of citizenship and belonging. This reminds me of our readings about the response to the Know-Nothing party during the period of American anti-Catholicism. In this response the Catholics clarified that the persecution they faced was unjust, because they were citizens of this country. They were seeking no special privileges, just equality. Similarly, the statue reminds us that we are all American and that America is defined by its citizens. When standing at just the right angle, the “O” in the statue perfectly encapsulates the Empire State Building, which is often seen as the symbol of the city. This placement of the statue is definitely not an accident. Rather I think it shows that our cultures and religions are what shape this city. Therefore, New York is what it is today, because of the people who reside within its limits. We are all Americans, thus we can shape the future of this nation.

Saving New York

         Graffiti in New York City is a fine art form. Gone are the days of simple name tags; New York graffiti artists now take to the streets to raise their voices about whatever matters to them— each blank wall is a new platform to incite discussion about socio political matters, current events, and the like. New York City is filled with incredible examples of the intersection between religion and culture, and many graffiti artists utilize their skills to create loud art that provokes thought and discussion.

          I was wandering around Brooklyn with my friend Milo looking for interesting things that he could photograph (he’s a photographer.) We came across this fully tagged wall and the thing that stood out most to be was the phrase, in large, white, capital block letters: “Y’ALL F****** NEED JESUS.” This phrase is actually pretty popular in contemporary pop culture, and I hesitated choosing this as my artifact due to the vulgarity. However, I strongly believe that this is a raw representation of the manifestation of a new counterculture produced from street culture and religion. Graffiti artists are unfiltered and uncensored vigilantes and voices of the people, and even simple works like these can be unpacked to discover deep symbolic meaning. 

         Street art in New York is ever-changing. The constant evolution of murals, name tags, and other graffiti parallels the ever-evolving nature of one's relationship with God, and in today’s political culture and seemingly heartless world, many individuals turn to religion for comfort and hope. The simple statement that the world today “needs Jesus” represents the prevalent existence of Christianity and religion in general in contemporary society. This graffiti artist could use his or her voice to say anything, yet they created an artifact representing the people, the aching members of the community yearning to be saved. 

         The phrase “y’all f****** need Jesus” is typically said to or about someone who  regularly engages in “sinful” activities. Drugs, drinking, hateful actions, and even murder have a strong presence in today’s media and communities across the world, especially in America and even in New York.  Regardless of the intended recipient of the phrase, the bold statement catches the eye of anyone that passes, and because of the colloquial nature of the phrase, can perhaps remind everyone (regardless of religious affiliation) to be a little more kind as they go about their day. In addition, the location of this piece as part of a large group of graffiti represents the pluralistic nature of America itself. Christianity now finds itself situated among masses of beliefs, spiritualities, and religions, yet it holds steadfast to its ideals while changing--much like the Constitution-- to adapt to its practitioners. 

        Street art in New York is ever-changing. The constant evolution of murals, name tags, and other graffiti parallels the ever-evolving nature of one's relationship with God, and in today’s political culture and seemingly heartless world, many individuals turn to religion for comfort and hope. The simple statement that the world today “needs Jesus” represents the prevalent existence of Christianity and religion in general in contemporary society, while the casual, vulgar diction displays the edgier counter culture of the youth. Our generation does a lot of things that would be unspeakable in our parents time, and this pairing of a curse word with Jesus' name is the artist's effort to represent the new ways we approach religion. This graffiti artist could use his or her voice to say anything, yet they created an artifact representing the people, the aching members of the community that share a new identity in a new world, and a timeless yearning to be saved.

Expression Beyond the Grave

Amidst the hustle and bustle of busy New York streets, I search for evidence of real life. There are throngs of people littering the streets, yes. But the life I hunt for is alive. It pulses through you like the drummer in the subway. It lifts you up like the bubble-makers in Central Park. It makes your heart flip like the street acrobats in Times Square. The city is a museum of art, always changing and always in conversation with itself. Like the Constitution, it is amendable and relevant to today. When I stumbled upon this ersatz gravestone on the sidewalk around 67^th and Amsterdam, I was struck as if by a beam of light. I was drawn to it.

Reading, “If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: The only proof of God he needed was music,” this Kurt Vonnegut quote has become essential to my understanding of the manifestation of art in the city. Vonnegut’s equation of art as proof of God is simple, yet effective in that theology generally views God as a force of creation. In mimicking God’s creation, man is essentially paying homage to the divinity of that act.

Moreover, this quote serves the double purpose as a piece of art in itself. In displaying itself in the middle of a public street, it becomes an essential function of that street, inextricably related to the people that use it. Therefore, the conversation is threefold: a dialogue between Vonnegut and the artist, between the artist and the viewer, and between Vonnegut and the viewer. The foremost message of the installation comes in the interplay between Vonnegut and the artist. The decision to place the art as a New York public work is a response to Vonnegut’s claim that creation is divine, transferring that quality automatically to the chalk-art. Then, the artist attempts to engage the viewer. How the viewer reacts to the piece – walking past, over, or around it, stopping to look at it, sharing it with a friend – is a response to the artist’s message. The creation, in the length of its lifespan, effects daily life. Finally, the viewer leaves the piece in conversation with Vonnegut. After engaging with the artist, they are left with the weight of the quote, or sometimes with a picture of the piece to accompany them. It may inspire feelings of faith, mortality, permanence, art, and beauty.

That art is dispensed by man through the celestial providence of God is enough to rest peacefully. 

          So it goes.