I work in retail and this is the biggest time of the year for retail - in fact, I work today because there is a big sale and I don't usually work on weekends. But, it is nice for me - as far as income is concerned.
This thread made me think about Mark ch 7 which I read this morning about when Jesus cast the demons out of the man and they went into the pigs who then drowned themselves. The people there asked Jesus to leave because the pigs were their livelihood and they were annoyed that He destroyed their pigs and they were not concerned about the poor man who had been demon possessed. I see the commercial Christmas holiday like that. It is the bread and butter of the retail industry. If it were not so huge with people spending so much money on all the trees and decorations and gifts and food and other junk that people spend their money on for the great Christmas holiday, it would make a HUGE dent in the economy. In fact, this year many retailers are worried about the economy making a huge dent in their Christmas profits.
To most of society, Christmas is not about Christ. Many of the people who benefit from the Christmas retail holiday are not Christians and could care less about Christ, but they love Christmas because it is their bread and butter. There would be an uproar if Christmas was done away with and the most upset people would be the retail industries. They don't care if people care about Christ or not. All they care about is if people buy their stuff. I know many people who get into the "Christmas spirit" and decorate and bake and buy gifts and they never go to church or care a fig about Christ. I have heard over and over that if there are no gifts, then Christmas is ruined. Charities have people buying gifts for children so that poor children can "have a Christmas". Children grow up thinking Christmas is about toys.
On the news there is all sorts of stuff about donating toys for poor children for Christmas.
But you don't hear the gospel preached on the news. Ever.
You don't see people going around preaching the gospel for Christmas and giving out Bibles and gospel tracts. At least I have never seen that.
When they do their big "Christmas dinners" for homeless and poor people do they mention Christ or give out Bibles or tracts or pray with those people or preach the gospel to them?
Most of the Christmas decorations that I sell in the store I work with have nothing to do with Christ. We sell fish ornaments and santa claus ornaments and animal ornaments and all sorts of sports ornaments and wreaths and trees and winter scenes and snowflake ornaments and the only stuff with any reference to Christ are the Catholic looking Jesus and Mary statues which I find a bit creepy looking anyway.
No verses about the Lord other than maybe on the inside of some of the Christmas Cards.
No mention of Christ.
Anyway, I must get ready for work to go sell stuff to people so they will have a lovely Christmas.