Christian Living

Christian Compassion Versus Worldly Greed

by Jeff Drinnan
11/27/21
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This season's madness, with it's incessant utilitarian exploitation of Christmas does not bring peace. It reminds me of the novel McTeaque by Frank Norris, where the characters' greed caused tension and big problems between them.

As is the case today, people in the novel played the lottery. Trina, who was going to marry Marcus, McTeaque's lifelong best friend, marries McTeaque after she won $5,000 in the lottery, which was a good sum for the time, which was set around the California gold rush era. This caused constant conflict between the men and ended up in murder!

The novel illustrated the consequences of greed. In fact, Norris' novel, published in 1899, was the basis for Erich von Stroheim's 1924 silent flick Greed.

"For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." -1 Timothy 6:10

Like the characters in McTeaque, retailers are flooding their stores with "Christmas" music, most of it mindless chants to have a merry Christmas, filling the world with Christmas cliches'. Employees and customers seem to be very uptight, almost rabbid, as they go about the business of hyping up the holidays. In some areas of the stores where I work, there is gridlock, as workers and shoppers go about the business like the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter in Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. Freight is constantly moving in and out, rushed along. Digging out material goods in the backroom is risky and is sometimes hard on the back, as it's hard to lift properly with all the stuff piled up. It also creates confusion and stress. People seem to act machine like, with the store and customers chasing after idols - cash and carry.

It's okay for Christians to exchange a few gifts at Christmas time. What's important is to celebrate the reason for the season, which is not about money and the surface glitter; it's a sober rememberance of God sending his son to earth to redeem the lost sheep, who have fallen from grace after the sin of Adam in the Garden of Eden, for those who ask for forgiveness of their sins and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

On Thanksgiving Day, the only church in southern Bucks County, PA that has been hosting sit down meals for the homeless and needy since the pandemic, is and example of how Christians should celebrate holidays. Not only did the church feed the guests' physical body at the Thanksgiving meal, but their souls. There was a Biblical message of thanks and testimonies by guests. Hosts not only greeted their visitors - they sat down at the table with them and ministered to them.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." -Romans 12:2