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The billboards and
other media assure us that Treasure Island stores
have “Everything for Christmas.” What a wonderful
opportunity to fulfill all the world's needs!
Will Treasure Island
have just what you need for Christmas? If they
don't have it there are a number of other
retailers who are also promising to provide
everything that you need for Christmas. Wow!
Finally. The perfect Christmas!
Let’s see… How about
world peace? That would be spectacular! In which
aisle would one find that? An end to the AIDS
epidemic would be another wonderful Christmas
gift. Would that be in the same aisle with frames
or with artificial Christmas trees? A little
closer to home, perhaps you have some friends and
family members who are out of work. Would they
find new, or better-paying, jobs in a particular
aisle or would that be at end-of-aisle displays
throughout the store?
The oil crunch has
put a bit of a bite into everyone’s budget and the
stock market is still weak. Would that all be
fixed in aisle two or aisle five? Feeling a
little stressed lately? In what aisle would one
find personal peace? A friend was just killed in a
tragic accident. Where is solace for his wife and
family?
Most of us would
welcome a closer relationship with our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Would we find that among
Christmas lights, outdoor inflatable lawn
decorations, or in that aisle set aside for gifts
for that special someone?
Many of us will
spend more time in stores and shopping on-line
this holiday season, seeking what the marketplace
screams we must have, than we will caring for our
spiritual well-being and that of our loved ones.
That’s understandable. We cannot escape the
messages of the marketplace while the Word of God
is constrained by modern day legal Pharisees.
Marketers call this stridence top-of-mind
awareness. They seek to drown out thoughts of
anything but consuming. That’s not to suggest that
there is anything wrong with buying gifts for
loved ones. It is the unrealistic promises and the
stridence of the retailers that is a challenge.
But, we can make it
quite different. On almost every stereo there is a
little knob that is labeled “balance.” We can
adjust the balance of the season in our lives just
as well as we adjust the balance of our stereos,
simply by being aware that we need to. We can turn
up the Word of God in our lives and turn down the
noise of the marketplace. The same eyes that are
so good at finding a parking spot in the crowded
mall can be turned to seek Emmanuel, God with us.
It is simply a matter of awareness.
"…The kingdom of
God is not coming with things that can be
observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!'
or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God
is among you." Luke 17: 20-21 That is the truth of
the season. The shopping, the gift giving, the
gatherings and parties, all stem from wanting to
joyously celebrate that truth. If we start with
our emphasis on the truth of Emmanuel, then all
the rest falls into balance. |
