No Subs

Teachers know it all too well; this is the time of year when your immune system earns its keep because school subs are rarely available. Think long days crammed full of meetings, testing and scheduling gymnastics. Our calendars beg for mercy and yet there is no reprieve until Winter Break. Parents balk when a stand-in teaches their students because routines bring a sense of stability. Yet substitution has become the essence of our culture.

Back when I was on my keto kick, I yearned for real bread but settled for culinary imposters. I convinced myself that a lettuce-wrapped taco was just as good as biting into a fresh tortilla! But there is nothing quite like the real thing. Have you ever set your appetite on a favorite savory dish only to discover that the restaurant had run out? Or that it was no longer a menu option? Inevitably, the waiter tried to convince you to stay the course and gamble your tastebuds on pinch-hitter provisions. Sugar substitutes leave an aftertaste. This world is full of fillers and short on things that satisfy. Spoiler Alert: Nothing satisfies like Jesus.

Why do we display the carefully curated image of life presented on social media instead of embracing the raw, messy truth of a real one? We trade genuine self-expression for a digitally "optimized" self that earns likes, much like an imitation gift that looks better than the handmade one but holds no true value. We often substitute seeking God for the constant noise of entertainment when we should do the difficult and quiet work of self-reflection. Be present! Why do we fear the silence (like the quiet of the Bethlehem stable) where the heart is forever transformed?

We also find substitutes for authentic human connection. AI chatbots, assistants, or even virtual companions offer simulated empathy—they are always available, never moody, and perfectly attuned to our desires because they are programmed to be. In fact, the Gemini app on my phone speaks words of affirmation and apologizes for "mistakes" by default. But true connection requires vulnerability, compromise, patience, and the ability to tolerate discomfort. The most monumental moment in history required a journey, a humble setting, and the presence of imperfect humans—it was the opposite of frictionless.

As I recently discovered while visiting my son in Jacksonville, GPS has dulled our sense of direction! Automated self-checkout has replaced the friendly face of a cashier. The substitute is efficient, but the trade-off is the loss of human kindness and compassion. Lab-created diamonds are more popular than ever; this signals a shift. We no longer demand authenticity from retailers, ourselves, our pastors, our political leaders or even our nation. We make excuses while we become both purveyors and victims of bait and switch! We have traded Jesus for Santa. The empty tomb for an Easter bunny. And substance for image.

How often do we numb our pain with pleasure, embracing only the blessings while cursing the burdens? During shopping season, we may be tempted to search for a transactional solution rather than a transformative one. Recently, I have been trying to eat a cleaner diet, but when I cave and fill myself with junk food, it never satisfies. In fact, that compromise creates discomfort. When we look for shortcuts and hacks rather than discipleship and sacrifice, we miss the very footsteps that we are called to follow.

We substitute the surface-level ritual (gift-giving, parties, elaborate food) for the profound meaning (unconditional love, sacrifice, and hope). We replace spiritual fulfillment with a temporary sugar rush of materialism. We often prefer the familiar substitute of nostalgia, tradition, and a sweet, emotional "Christmas feeling" versus the hard, challenging truth of the story—a radical, disruptive event that occurred in poverty and vulnerability.

We prefer the "picture-perfect" Christmas card image to the uncomfortable reality of poverty, refugee status, and political upheaval--the actual birth story. We domesticate the divine and make it safe, replacing the authentic, transformative experience with a comfortable, predictable one. The authentic Christ was a radical, world-changing presence, not just a cozy feeling.

There was no loophole or Plan B for a young virgin named Mary. I imagine that she must have yearned for an easier path. Even Jesus asked God if there was any alternative to the human suffering and grief that He had to endure. But there is NO SUBSTITUTE for the cross; the baby in the manger changed everything! Like the shepherds and wise men who abandoned their routines to seek the authentic presence of the child, we must abandon all substitutes to receive the genuine gift of Christmas.

*Point to Ponder- The only substitute that we should ever accept is Jesus Christ. He was the ultimate stand-in, replacing our guilt with His grace...Jesus joyfully served our lifetime sentence! Merry Christmas! 

Acts 4:12 (NIV) Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.