Season of Reason!?!

My belly is full. The tryptophan is kicking in, and the sun has set on another epic Thanksgiving celebration. I am grateful to have such a wonderful family with whom I can celebrate. Tomorrow is a day of absolute madness in our society. It is Black Friday, the day that shoppers lose their minds (and often their perspective) hunting for the perfect Christmas bargain. A perfect illustration of how insane commercialism at Christmas has become, I offer exhibit A. The clever people at Mazda have started running their "season of reason sales event" commercials. They make fun of overspending at Christmas by encouraging people to buy a Mazda. Because that is a really inexpensive option! Tomorrow, everyone will be talking about what kind of holiday season we will have based on how much money Americans spend. What is so perplexing about this is that so many Christians completely "buy" into this insanity (double entendre intended). In fact, many of us say with pride, "I will only shop at stores that say 'Merry Christmas'," or "I will only spend my money at stores that play Christmas carols." And we think that by doing that, we have somehow taken a stand for Jesus. But, what if this year, we tried something different? What if this year, instead of celebrating the birth of our savior by going into debt, what if we actually focused on celebrating Jesus' birth? How revolutionary would that be. Take a moment to check out the Advent Conspiracy. This is the most redemptive response to the commercialization of Christmas that I have seen. Our church, and my family, are participating this year for the third time. This has literally saved Christmas for me. Maybe it can for you. In the meantime, today begins my annual Christmas commercial watch. I will share with you from time to time - hopefully in a humorous way - commercials that I think are particularly contrary to the good news of great joy of Jesus' birth. Hopefully, it will be both insightful and fun. Have a blessed season of Advent. Prepare your hearts for the coming of the Lord.