Saturday, Dec. 6: “Last Christmas” by Wham!
If there was any cultural artifact to describe the 1980s to a pilgrim, the music video for “Last Christmas” might be it. Released in 1984 and featuring tremendous mullets, fitted velvet jackets, an oversized diamond brooch, and a heaping side of smoldering resentment toward an ex, it’s truly a product of its time—with over 1 billion YouTube views, and counting.
The song by English pop duo WHAM! has become a mainstay of secular Christmas radio—a genre that focuses on the feelings associated with Christmas, absent any mention of the actual meaning of Christmas. It’s safe to play as muzak at Macy’s, or at a work gathering, or at a nondescript holiday get-together with people of various faith traditions. Which means, come December 1, it shows up everywhere, immediately.
But when it was written, “Last Christmas” wasn’t meant as some cynical ploy to make a bunch of money exploiting how much it hurts to get dumped at Christmas. George Michael penned the hit in his childhood bedroom. And when he recorded the song in the studio a year later, he put up Christmas decorations in August and played every instrument himself.
“Last Christmas” understands that at Christmas, being with the people you love can feel better than anything. The warmth, the traditions, the safety of it all is impossible to duplicate. In those moments, having a holiday to celebrate Jesus’ birth feels like a gift for families to treasure. But at Christmas, being rejected by those same people feels like the worst thing in the world. And ironically, on Christmas Day, 2016, George Michael—the poet laureate of the Christmas breakup song—died in his home, from heart failure.
Psalm 34:18 talks about God being close to the brokenhearted, and he promises to save those who are crushed in spirit. As we head into the holiday season, let’s remember how very lonely it makes some of us feel, even when we’re surrounded by people who are supposed to love us—and how we can offer connection, warmth, and real acceptance to the outsider through the Christmas story.
Conversation starter:
“What’s the best Christmas memory you can think of?”
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