A War on Christmas

 

We have met the enemy, and he is us. –Pogo


(I am writing a post I really don’t want to write, but am finding I can’t not write.) 

It’s likely that over the past week or so, you’ve caught wind of the annual “War on Christmas” being waged over Starbucks and their seasonal coffee cups. If you’ve been fortunate enough to miss the hubbub, here it is, in a nutshell: 

In years past, Starbucks has created wintry cups adorned with symbols of the season: snowmen, snowflakes, reindeer. But in 2015, they chose to issue a plain red cup. No decorations. And this led some angry, conservative Christians to claim that Starbucks is “declaring war on Christmas.”

Seriously? All this over a disposable coffee cup? Who gives a flying . . . reindeer? (The fancy cups have since returned; the War is over [for now].)

Here’s what I believe: God did not come in to the world in human form to teach us how to decorate coffee cups. God did not come to model taking offense over how we greet one another, or what kind of music is most God-honoring.

No. Jesus came into the world to teach us how to love one another. When we have plenty, he shows us how to share, to “pay it forward.” He reminds us that others will know we follow the Christ, not by our coffee cups, our t-shirts or CD collections—not even when we call ourselves Christians—but by our love. As Advent draws closer, how will you practice love in the ways Jesus taught us?


Monday Call someone whom you find easy to love. Tell them how important they are in your life. Ask how you might pray for them. Isaiah 64:1-5

Tuesday If you go out today, find a way to bless another. Maybe it’s a cup of coffee or a bite to eat. Don’t be shy; Jesus loved mingling with strangers. Psalm 80:1-7

Wednesday Choose a charitable group and make a donation, either of your time or from your pocketbook. Ask questions. Learn who is really being helped. Isaiah 64:5-9

Thursday Look inside your heart today. How do you feel about people who believe differently than you do—both Christians and those of other faith traditions? Why? Pray. 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Friday Meditate today on a favorite gift someone gave you for no reason. If the giver is still alive, share your feelings. If not—thank God for the beauty of this saint. Mark 13:24-29

Saturday Do you find it easy to love yourself? Take time today to look at yourself through the eyes of the One who created you. Psalm 80:17-19

Sunday Have you been a contributor to our local food bank ministry? They can certainly use your help these days. Be generous. Mark 13:30-37

 

I am a veteran of the War on Christmas. I am just emerging from a battlefield strewn with dead trees and torn shreds of brightly colored wrapping paper. –Henry Rollins

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Spiritual dehydration

  Inside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that is where I renew my springs that never dry up. –Pearl S. Buck   The past two years (at least) have been exhausting, haven’t they? We had a pandemic that physically left us anxious and afraid. Our churches, where we go for nourishment, were closed or online longer than we wanted—and even now, we are careful. Politically, we have been divided against one another, and those wounds are still bleeding in many cases. We need to take care of ourselves. And it’s never been more difficult. What to do? How do I make time in our busy schedules—for me ? The simple answer: Whatever it takes. Remember when we would fly to a vacation destination? How the flight attendant would remind us that if the cabin loses pressure, the oxygen masks would drop down out of the ceiling? And that before we offer to help anyone else, we need to have our own masks in place ? Good advice for life in general. Today: Pause. Take inventory ...
Read more

What are you waiting for?

  The waiting is the hardest part. –Tom Petty   We spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting for the coffee to finish dripping. Waiting for the light to turn green. Waiting for the next available agent. It’s inevitable, really. We cannot always be first, and if we aren’t first, we’ll have to wait. But I think the more important thing is to ask yourself: How am I at waiting? Do I find myself getting anxious and fidgety? Am I worrying about things not going the way I really need them to go? Is my attitude rubbing off on people around me? The best way to wait is not to worry where we are in line, or gripe about wasted time. The best way to wait—is to be right there , in the moment of waiting. The disciples waited in fear; we wait in hope. Why not use this waiting time to pray? Welcome God’s presence into your heart. Ask God to bring you into the moment. Inquire what God would ask of you in this moment . Thank God for wisdom, patience, humor. . . . Take a d-e...
Read more

Don't be afraid.

Living is a great deal more than simply not dying. It is carrying out a mission, committing oneself to fashion some meaning that will attain eternity. –Leonardo Boff When asked, “What are you afraid of?” we offer a myriad of answers: snakes, spiders, flying in an airplane. But when pressed, many people, believers and non-believers alike, will admit that the one thing they fear most, at the core of their being, is death. Most of us enjoy having control over our lives, and frankly, we have very little control over, or way of knowing, how or when our earthly journey will end. And we have even fewer concrete answers about what will happen next. We have the profession of our faith and the occasional “crossing-over” story—but. No wonder death is near the top of that list. But sometimes, as I look around, it seems like people are less fearful about dying—and more afraid of living. Really cutting loose and enjoying our time together as human beings privileged to live in God’s am...
Read more