Bah-Humbug or Merry Christmas.....

I know that I am going to get some flack over this rant, but it is something that I have been thinking hard over.

First off, this is my own thoughts and not that of my family members.

While I admit that I am the first to start buying stuff for myself that I normally wouldn't buy during the rest of the year, I feel more and more that the commercialization of Christmas especially by Christians is not going to fare well on our resume at the Pearly Gates.

There is a struggle in my heart between seeing the delight on my children's faces and the thought of how I am swimming downstream with the "black Friday culture".
Taking Christmas far from it's Christian roots.

We have taken one of the Holiest seasons of the year and made it all about materialism.

Granted, there is some good that comes with this time of the year:

The fore mentioned delight on children's faces on Christmas morning;
the joy of spending time with family and friends that we might not normally see; the fact that some unbelievers might investigate the "reason for the season" and be converted; and even the boost in the economy can be a good thing.
Even the charity that is brought out at Christmas time is admirable although people should be that charitable year around.

Now, I am known as a tightwad (at least in my household) and that figures into my dilemma also. Sometimes I may feel that we are spending way too much at Christmas. We are far from being wealthy but the Lord provides for our needs and even a little extra occasionally.

But, here are a couple of things that I feel are a good part of my argument in "toning down" the gift buying and doing other things instead;

1) Shopping on Sundays....enough said I believe.

2) Causing employees to work ridiculous hours. This year "black Friday" started at midnight in some stores and at 4am in others. It also takes parents from their homes at those crazy hours...who's home with the children?

3) Again this year, black Friday caused "surge" deaths...nothing says
Merry Christmas like mourning the loss of a loved one who is trying to save a buck or two.

4) And finally, the whole reason I started this rant;
I have family and friends whom are quick to call a store manager about
the retailers lack of Christ in the public eye. They say "why is the Creche in the back corner of the store?" or "why is Dan Browns new book displayed in the front of the store and there's no sign of the Popes new book even on the shelf?"
How about the ol' "Happy Holiday's instead of Merry Christmas" from the cashiers?

I'll tell you why, because we have Christians have let this Holy season slip through our fingers and into the secular world's hands for them to model it how they want it to be. We are at the mercy of the "we don't want to offend anyone" culture (except us Christans whom evidently don't mind being offended).

Should we still complain? YES!
But, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

Maybe if we stop shopping on Sundays. Maybe if we stop going to those ridiculously early Black Friday sales. Maybe if we give to those less fortunate than us. Maybe if we stop filling our homes so full of "stuff" that we have to buy larger homes to keep all our "stuff"in....just maybe we can
get the stores to sell those "must have" items at a more reasonable price all the time.

Then again, maybe Santa Clause will come down my chimney with a bag full of coal....

Have a Blessed Advent