Black Friday

After reading a post put up on Facebook by Tim Stephenson, I was appalled to read an article on msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27955316) about a temporary employee who was trampled to death at a Wal-Mart. It made me sick to my stomach to think something like this could happen. How could we be so short-sighted? I know the Tickle-Me-Elmo doll is 1/2 off and everyone else is after it, but couldn't you just take a second to help up a fellow citizen. In Matthew 24:12, Christ prophecies, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Read the article, and ask yourself, "Has the love of many waxed cold?"
Reading the account on msnbc.com reminded me of my job last summer. I built grain bins, but when we didn't have a bin to build, we might help separate cattle. The biggest lesson I learned in separating cattle is that cows are really dumb. They are very short-sighted and can be very stubborn. If they would just calm themselves and allow us to guide them, the process would be very quick and simple, but again, cows are very dumb creatures. It could take a very long time to get a mother and calf paired, even though they want to be together. In reading this story, I got the same feeling about the shoppers as I did the cows. The biggest difference is that the cowardliness of cattle makes the separation process bearable...even doable. With people, it is a different story. When faced with a challenge, we are quick to be the aggressor. Nothing will stand in our way!
What concerns me the most are people's motives for barging into the store the way they did. When told that the store was closing due to a death, people murmured and argued that they had been waiting in line all morning long to shop. But why did you have to wait several hours to shop in the first place? Why do we do the things we do? I am far from villainizing consumerism. I could see a certain appeal to waiting in line in anticipation for a good deal. But is it that important? Must we cater to our children's wants so much that we wake up at 1 o'clock in the morning to save 10 bucks on a movie, or even 50 bucks on a video game system? Is it that important? Would it be such a terrible thing to teach our children a little moderation? I promote consumerism. I'd be the first one to take my wife on a shopping spree, or buy myself a new 4-door Jeep Wrangler given the money to do it. I think our capitalistic economy has made this country great, and given us the resources to help out less-fortunate countries. But where do we draw the line?
Let's have fun this Christmas. Let's buy nice things for each other. Let's remember those who are less fortunate. Let's joyfully remember Christ and his life. Let's be a little kinder to each, a little less anxious, and let us love one another. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus or whatever else you celebrate. Lets shop smart and remember why we celebrate what we do.