Just a few days before Christmas, two women stood looking into a department store window at a display of the manger scene. It had clay figures of the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men and the animals.
Disgustedly, one woman said, “Look at that — the church trying to horn in on Christmas!”
Sentiments certainly seem to have become just that. In this country, Christmas is about Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Small Business Tuesday.
In other words, profits.
Online videos show greedy shoppers rushing into stores to purchase the hottest items on sale. Frankly, I am appalled by such behavior.
I am appalled by grown adults grabbing items from children's hands.
I am appalled by videos showing men and women punching, shoving and kicking each other in a frenzy for a prized item.
I want no part of this version of Christmas. Nor, it would seem to me, would God.
The church is not horning in on Christmas. Santa Claus, marketing, profits and greed have horned in on Christmas.
No longer is the focus of that holy day solely on the fact that God chose to come into this world himself.
How do today’s practices and attitudes point to the fact that humanity was so screwed up, so self-absorbed, so far removed from the way God wanted his people to live, that God — the Creator of everything — decided he needed to come here himself in the person of Jesus Christ to set things right?
How do today’s practices point to the fact that God’s love for humanity runs so deep he left his throne in heaven to demonstrate his love?
How do today’s practices point to the fact that humanity still needs to recognize its need for a Savior?
I can already hear people taking exception to this article, declaring I am old-fashioned or not with the times.
And I would agree.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BROADHEAD: Santa Claus, marketing and profits horn in on Christmas