No Crayons In Aisle Four

American consumerism is soaring. And for those shopping for crayons on the night before the last day of school before Christmas break...fair warning, the teachers have bought out the packs of regular 16 crayons to a pack for $.99.

Despite the shortage of crayons, it seems we have decided that the cure for a slowing economy may be to require store employees to work around the clock to satisfy our notion that "shopping til we drop" is the finest expression of Christmas cheer. I was in a mall department store last night and asked how late they would be open. The weary clerk said, "Midnight." For a Tuesday, I was amazed. In a place where it is hard to find a cup of coffee after nine, that is a "new sign of the times."

The other side of that same equation is not the convenience of access to goods, but the price we pay when we create a convenient, but difficult context for families, for children, for those who desire to worship, for those who would enjoy a break from the rigorous demands of crowds and customers in favor of a time of reflection and prayer and meaningful conversation with family and friends.

The societal pressure to "make profits" continues to dictate in ways that we subtlely find ourselves influenced by. Coupons for "Sunday only" sale days. "Early bird" shopping appeals that invite customers to come at 4 AM. Both miss the mark in failures to recognize the importance of rest, of Sabbath, of time for the human body to recoup and utilize normative sleep cycles for health and positive functioning.

All around us are people being led to use "performance-enhancing" drugs for the purposes, not of athletic competition, but for the means by which they can attempt to stay alert for long extended periods without rest. Check out the local counters at your nearest truck stop or drive-in market. Patterns of abuse develop quickly with all types of stimulants and counter-acting sleep aids to modify their effects used when sleep patterns are disrupted. Physical depression caused by sheer fatigue is not uncommon. Likewise, long periods of sustained depression can cause clinical depression that often requires medical attention due to its severity.

The need for work, more income, and satisfying the requirements of employers has always been an argument for going "above and beyond" -- I speak from the background of frequently extended hours in ministry and a childhood of parents with similar demands. We adapt and we can work for long periods, but there comes to all of us the reality that at some level, there is no justification for the abandonment of what we value the most to attain what satifies the least.

For those who are dedicated to avoiding crowds, you may internet shop or home shopping network through the wee hours. For those who must enter the fray of satisfying a child's television-engineered and commercially brainwashed mindset to want and demand a certain fad or fashion created by the lastest round of advertising executives, then there will always be some level of disappointing returns.

If, on the other hand, you teach your children the value of your love for them, your time and attention to their real needs, and the importance of valuing others and showing respect to neighbors and those who help us each day in the workplaces, school houses, and community gathering places we engage, then that is a lesson that will be treasured for a lifetime.

Likewise,at this season of the year, if you point those you love and those within your circle of influence to the person of Jesus and his giving of himself to us all, then that will be the best gift ever received and celebrated...day or night, now and later, even...forever.

Essentials for the Season

With all the preoccupations of this season with those things that have so little to do with Christ or "Christ-mass" or Christian anything for that matter, it is no wonder that some dear souls have chosen to barricade themselves into a total rejection of the season out of a sense of duty or desperation to preserve the real focus and meaning of the coming of Christ.

For those of us who search for "middle ground" on which to stand during these times, it is a perilous journey. Yet, interestingly, it was into just such a world as ours that Jesus came. The political climate was intense. There were wars and battles being fought to preserve territories and to protect interests. There were many who were the victims of exploitation. There were slaves. There were many desperately poor and others who demonstrated every excess imaginable in displays of power and wasteful self-indulgence. Jesus came into a world very much like our own times and season.

His coming brought much anticipation of change. He preached repentance and offered an invitation to discover the Kingdom of God at hand in one's own heart and life. He showed compassion and mercy and extended healing and welcome. He moved aside the distinctions of race and class and social expectation and entered into the homes and workplaces and gathering places of the men and women and children. He blessed all with his presence, his touch, and his message of life. In our generation, the same word of truth needs to be heard, received, and believed.

There is no escaping the fact that we live in desperate times. Jesus came to save us. His word to us is the resounding word of promise and hope for all. If you have to leave something out this Christmas, don't let it be that.