How the Greed stole Christmas!

I

 heard (and saw) a slightly irregular sermon today (the final one in a series of four) based on the Seuss book/film, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. As a backdrop for the message, the platform was decorated like Seuss’s Whoville, very clever indeed. And a clip from the film preceded the message.

What made it slightly irregular was the title of the sermon, “How Christmas Was Almost Stolen!” and its accompanying Scripture references from Revelation 12. Ever heard a Christmas message preached from Revelation? Read it for yourself, “And the dragon (Herod = Grinch) stood before the woman who was about to give birth (Mary), so that when she gave birth he might devour her child (All children under the age of 2 ordered to be slain)”.

The introduction was titled, “The Grinch’s efforts to steal Christmas” - Devour (Vs 4) Deceive (Vs 9). Its main points came under the heading, “Things to Thwart the Grinch” 1. Christ/Cross (11) 2. Testimony (13) 3. Obedience (17).

Clever, creative and innovative! It’s too late for this year, but here’s your 2010 Christmas message, I’m sure the pastor won’t mind. Google, How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas for an introductory film clip.

The modern-day parallel to Grinch, it seems to me, is Greed: How The Greed Stole Christmas. There is a thin line between need and greed. We see the consequences of crossing that line being played out in the world economy today, all guilty even though America is taking the lion’s share of the blame. As accumulation occurs, need begins to take on a whole different meaning, doesn’t it? Dr. Seuss captures it perfectly in another story, “The Once-ler (from “The Lorax”):

“I meant no harm. I most truly did not.  But I had to grow bigger. So bigger I got. I biggered my factory. I biggered my roads. I biggered my wagons. I biggered the loads of the Thneeds I shipped out. I was shipping them forth to the South! To the East! To the West! To the North! I went right on biggering … selling more Thneeds. And I biggered my money, which everyone needs.” 

The church (including TSA) is not immune to “biggering” and greed, especially with its emphasis on fundraising during the Christmas season. The real danger is that cleverness and competitiveness (the pursuit of “bigness”) will take us off Message; that in a genuine desire to meet need, compromise and commercialism will take precedence and devour the Christ right out of Christmas.

Take this Walmart sponsored commercial for example, one out of several in America today (http://walmartstores.com/Video/?id=1424).

Here we have bigness in retailing and bigness in charity joining together, feeding off each other’s enormous brand image, primarily to fill their coffers. For this purpose, the ad is very positive and compelling, enabling us to fulfill a greater Thneed. It’s the subtlety of compromise that worries me, this being but one example out of many. I’ll let you puzzle over it, but if I’m right let us not be guilty of this kind of Thievery. Remember how the Grinch’s story ends?

“He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more! And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. And then - the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of *ten* Grinches, plus two! Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer. Cheer to all Whos far and near. Christmas Day is in our grasp so long as we have hands to clasp. Christmas Day will always be just as long as we have we. Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart and hand in hand.”

Heart to God and Hand to Man! Notice the sequence priority in this slogan? No compromise here! Let’s be very careful.

As an aside, coincidentally, my son, Guy, was married this December at the Pasadena Tab - a Christmas wedding. The groom and his groomsmen all wore kilts for the occasion, honoring the groom’s Scottish heritage. Pictured are my two sons talking with Clint Howard, one of the groomsmen. Clint is an actor and played Whobris, the Mayor’s aid, in this film, directed by his brother, Ron Howard.

And those wedding vows recited, beside a Christmas tree, were right on Message!

 

 

Writer: Commissioner Joe Noland’s ministry can be summed up in three words: chaos, creativity and controversy - three elements implicit in any successful innovative endeavor. Cecil B. DeMille, renowned producer of Biblical epics, once wrote, “Creativity is a drug I cannot live without.” Joe’s mantra reads, “Creativity is my drug of choice.”  Access Joe Noland’s complete bio, among other things, by clicking into his website.

3 Comments to How the Greed stole Christmas!

1. As always Joe a thoughtful, somewhat left of field reminder.

   We have to be so careful and forever mindful of the trust invested in us and we must delineate that the money collected by the band on the street goes to welfare and not the purchase of a new Eb bass or a Band “Mission” trip.

   Peter B.
Peter B on December 21st, 2009

2. Joe - I’ve been wrestling with this very topic for some time now, but especially this year.

   It’s not sitting well with me that we’re (TSA) capitalizing on the insatiable desire for consumerism in this country. When will the madness stop? We’re constantly asking for more, more, more and we’re doing this through corporate sponsorships that are saying “spend, spend, spend!”

   Just after Thanksgiving, I wrote about this unsettled feeling that I have: http://rob-reardon.blogspot.com/2009/11/not-so-random-thoughts.html

   I pray that we can back up and take an honest look at what we’re doing and how we’re veering off course in many respects.

   Rob R.
Rob on December 22nd, 2009

3. For the sake of argument, let’s not forget that spending is in fact feeding. Every time we purchase something, buy a meal or go to a movie, we are employing people so that they can feed their families.

   I’m not convinced that consumerism is greed, but it is the way in which the world preserves dignity by empowering people to feed themselves rather than stand in line at a soup kitchen.

   Blessings,
   Johnny
Johnny on December 23rd, 2009

Leave a comment