Having worked in retail prior to the emergent worship movement directed at the world wide web I fully recognize the importance of the "Christmas" shopping season to the retail bottom line. Working on a modified commission basis, the Christmas 'bump' provided the opportunity to earn a higher wage during the other eleven months of the year. Thus, anyone who wishes to declare the post-Thanksgiving shopping days 'evil' should spend some time in purgatory-retail sales!
However, over the past 25 years the change that has come about is the hyper-marketing of 'special days' as if by 'naming' those days there is some inherent bargain related to the day. I have been monitoring a particular laptop for church on an internet shopping site and there has been absolutely zero change in the price during the past three days.a
What does this say? Well, following on the heels of a national presidential election the reader should beware any and all advertising that promises you what you really don't need and fails to address your true needs or the true nature of the advertiser. One of my sons noticed that Reeses spends very little on marketing their product. The product is orange and brown, it is circular with ridges, and it consists of peanut butter surrounded by chocolate. That is it. That is what Reeses is, what Reeses looks like and what Reeses tastes like.
Words flatter, deeds communicate. "My brothers and sisters, what is the gain if someone proclaims to have faith but does not have works? That faith certainly can not save him, can it? . . . That faith, if it does not possess works, is dead in and of itself." James 2.14, 17
To answer the question, "what is the gain?" is simple; to convince someone else of their value so they will be accepted. Be paltry with self proclamations of your identity but generous with self revealing deeds!
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