From the French Revolution to the Soviet Union to modern paganism, movements that demand the equivalent of religious devotion from their followers seek to redefine time and change the calendar to center around that movement.
While the worship of the goddess Reason, adoration of Lenin and Stalin, and various pagan spirits have obvious religious connections, the typical 21st-century American calendar has also been re-centered on the idol of consumerism – rejecting Christ as the focal-point of time. While we as modern Americans have missed the French and Bolshevik Revolutions, we are in the maelstrom of the resurgence of paganism and the all-consuming consumerism.
This affects both ourselves as teachers and our students.
Have you noticed that for almost every major commemoration in the traditional church calendar, there is a major counter-activity in today’s society?
- Instead of the Transfiguration, we have back-to-school shopping.
- Instead of All Saints, we have a month-long shopping spree for Halloween, complete with terrifying yard decor that darkly mirrors the displays that used to be reserved for Christmas.
- Instead of Thanksgiving and the start of Advent, we have Turkey Day (because there is “no One” to be ultimately thankful to when you remove God).
- Instead of the Martyrdom of St. Andrew, we have Black Friday.
- Instead of Advent, we have frantic Christmas shopping.
- Instead of Epiphany and the Baptism of Christ, we have New Years.
- Instead of the Martyrdom of St. Valentine, we have a shopping spree devoted to chocolate, flowers, jewelry, and gratifying lusts.
- Instead of Lent, we have the shopping spree for spring sales.
- Instead of the Bread and Wine of Maundy Thursday, the Slain Lamb of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Pascha – the Resurrection – we have the entirely secularized “Easter” with more chocolate to eat, baby bunnies and baby chicks, and more shopping.
- Instead of the Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi, we have the prom and graduation cycle, and furniture sales for a “Memorial Day” when we hardly stop even to remember the brave men who died to secure our country’s freedom.
- Instead of the Martyrdom of Sts. Peter and Paul, we have an entire month promoting the very sin for which the cities of the plain were completely obliterated – right down to the plants growing up from the ground – with sulfur and fire.
This is the culture that we and our students are surrounded by. If we are both minds and souls, why do we educate the mind so carefully, but leave the soul to fend for itself in the wash of consumerism and perversion from our culture? Why do we assume that our students will live out a Christian worldview in their lives when we as teachers – with credit cards – are ourselves too prone to fall into the spending cycle?
At the very least, I would argue that all this warrants some kind of reminder for all of us, which can be easily done by teachers – it might take the form of a simple statement about the liturgical time; a color-coded calendar or poster; a table-top display and brief Scripture readings or candle lighting that students could join in; or, if your school happens to have an ordained minister or designated worship leader, with a series of full chapel services.
Even something small can help students understand that it is our culture that has it backwards: the reality is that Christ is sovereign over time.
(c) Grace Hughbanks, 2026
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