Black Friday or Advent?

Thanksgiving Day. Usually the dinner dishes aren't even dry before the conversation switches from "count your blessings" to iPods and DVDs. A few years back my friend John and I decided to do something about it. We passed on shopping that day and rang bells for the Salvation Army instead.

We were happy to invest a day off for that fine organization—especially later in the day when we met another friend at a busy shopping center. We quickly noticed how frantic everyone suddenly seemed. It was all smiles earlier in the day as people fished out some change to contribute to people they might never know. Nobody was smiling as they streamed out of the store carrying bags of gifts. Earlier in the day, a nice postal worker took time out of his busy day to bring out some cups of hot chocolate for my friend and I (we were as cold as we looked). But there was no time to spare in a parking lot on Black Friday. We watched one car repeatedly get cut off as it tried to exit the parking lot. There were lots of car horns and even some yelling.

I am not against shopping and think it is important that we frequent our local merchants during the holiday. But I think we need to be conscious about how we celebrate the holidays:

• When we forget that buying gifts for our loved ones is a privilege not everyone can enjoy.
• When we dread holiday get togethers as just another obligation on an overloaded calendar, rather than a time to enjoy each other's company.
• When we are so fixed on the next bargain that we can't share some courtesy with the people around us. 

My hope and prayer is that we would experience a little less Black Friday and a little more of God's peace this Advent season.

(Oh, and by the way: It's not too late to register for Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center's 4th - 9th grade Advent Retreat, happening the weekend of December 2.)