Black Friday 2010 has come and gone, followed by Cyber Monday, and sales figures are encouraging the talking heads who say that, so far, Americans are spending more this season. Whether they're buying Christmas gifts, strictly, or shopping for themselves seems unclear at this point. I was, at first, startled by the New York Times' lead, "Americans are shopping selfishly again," although I realized after reading the article that many shoppers seemed to be shopping at least as much for themselves as they were for Christmas.
(And full disclosure -- this week I took a speaking honorarium and ordered "Greg Garrett" a refurbished MacBook Pro to replace the battered laptop with its sticking keys upon which I type this and everything else I write. So, like those folks in the Times, I bought something substantial for my business this week.)
It's the end of a hard year, the holidays are coming, we want to feel better and make others feel better, and the question this Christmas, is still, as always, about choosing between God and Mammon: Are we looking toward Bethlehem for hope?
Or are we looking toward Walmart?
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