Yesterday, both my Twitter and FaceBook timelines were filled with calls to boycott the Starbucks corporation. It seems that evangelical pastors were outraged by the fact that Starbucks redesigned the coffee cup that they use for the holidays. It no longer contains drawing of Santa Claus, snowflakes and reindeer. Now, it's just a red cup. One pastor (who will remain nameless) interpreted the change to mean that Starbucks hates Jesus and is declaring war on Christmas.
First of all, what? How on earth did he make that leap? The Christmas themed scenes that were removed had nothing to do with Jesus. They were snowflakes and snowmen and Santa Claus. How does removing non-religious symbols of winter equate to "hating" Jesus?
It is not as though Starbucks has ever made coffee cups that reflect the Nativity Scene or the journeys of the three wise men. Never in Starbucks history has there been a coffee cup that depicts the angel appearing to Mary and telling her that she is with Child. Those do not now exist, nor have they ever.
So why the massive hue and cry?
Unfortunately, what is happening is that Satan is succeeding at distracting Christians and keeping them from their calling. Silly argument and boycotts are not why Christ died. And they are certainly not what Christmas is about. Christmas is simply the beginning of the earthly manifestation of the beginnings of a Heavenly plan to reconcile sinful man to the Holy Righteous God.
The Word of God tells us that when the fullness of time was come God sent forth His Son who was born of a woman and made under the law to redeem us so that we might be counted among the children of God (Gal. 4:4-5). That is the story of Christmas.
And that is the story that we Christians, have a responsibility, nay a duty, to preach.
It is terribly convenient to fight little, insignificant battles to make it seem like something is being done, while ignoring the real task at hand. Fighting about Starbucks coffee cups is the equivalent of the child that is sent to take a bath and only gets his skin wet. Effort was made made, but not the right effort. So the net effect is that the child is still dirty. So, too, kicking up a fuss about red, scene-less coffee cups seems like effort is being made for the cause of Christ, but it is not the right effort. And the net effect remains: countless souls are going to a God-less eternity. And this is happening on our watch.
Where is the remnant? Where are the people who will stand up for the cause of Christ. who will not get distracted by petty disputations? Christ Himself commissioned his disciples to preach the Gospel, teach all nations, and to baptize in the name of the Tripartite God.
Seeming to fight the good fight of faith by getting involved in arguments and fights that fail to advance the cause of Christ is pointless. It is the chaff that will be burned up when God Himself begins to gather the wheat.
The previous cup design.*
The new design.* Courtesy of the Huffington Post.
First of all, what? How on earth did he make that leap? The Christmas themed scenes that were removed had nothing to do with Jesus. They were snowflakes and snowmen and Santa Claus. How does removing non-religious symbols of winter equate to "hating" Jesus?
It is not as though Starbucks has ever made coffee cups that reflect the Nativity Scene or the journeys of the three wise men. Never in Starbucks history has there been a coffee cup that depicts the angel appearing to Mary and telling her that she is with Child. Those do not now exist, nor have they ever.
So why the massive hue and cry?
Unfortunately, what is happening is that Satan is succeeding at distracting Christians and keeping them from their calling. Silly argument and boycotts are not why Christ died. And they are certainly not what Christmas is about. Christmas is simply the beginning of the earthly manifestation of the beginnings of a Heavenly plan to reconcile sinful man to the Holy Righteous God.
The Word of God tells us that when the fullness of time was come God sent forth His Son who was born of a woman and made under the law to redeem us so that we might be counted among the children of God (Gal. 4:4-5). That is the story of Christmas.
And that is the story that we Christians, have a responsibility, nay a duty, to preach.
It is terribly convenient to fight little, insignificant battles to make it seem like something is being done, while ignoring the real task at hand. Fighting about Starbucks coffee cups is the equivalent of the child that is sent to take a bath and only gets his skin wet. Effort was made made, but not the right effort. So the net effect is that the child is still dirty. So, too, kicking up a fuss about red, scene-less coffee cups seems like effort is being made for the cause of Christ, but it is not the right effort. And the net effect remains: countless souls are going to a God-less eternity. And this is happening on our watch.
Where is the remnant? Where are the people who will stand up for the cause of Christ. who will not get distracted by petty disputations? Christ Himself commissioned his disciples to preach the Gospel, teach all nations, and to baptize in the name of the Tripartite God.
Seeming to fight the good fight of faith by getting involved in arguments and fights that fail to advance the cause of Christ is pointless. It is the chaff that will be burned up when God Himself begins to gather the wheat.
The new design.* Courtesy of the Huffington Post.
*I do not own any rights to these pictures.
Comments
Post a Comment