Does God shed tears?

Published December 2, 2010

in the Stockton Sentinel, 

Stockton, Kansas

            Not many of us understand the annual tradition in Spain called “the running of the bulls.” It involves hundreds of people running in front of six bulls and another six steers down about a half mile stretch of narrow streets in the old town of Pamplona. Every year between 200 and 300 people are injured during the run, and there have been deaths, as recently as 2009. When the running of the bulls hits the news, I suspect many of us can’t believe something so dangerous and ridiculous continues to happen year after year, but it’s all a part of a fiesta which has its roots in the 13th or 14th century. It is a part of the Spanish culture.

            This past weekend I watched news accounts of another stampede – this one of shoppers on Black Friday that injured several people. It occurred in Buffalo, New York, at a Target store that had some good deals on TVs. One man, whose back was injured in the melee, managed to stumble through the store to the electronics department, where he collapsed and had to be taken by ambulance to a hospital. He missed out on the TV deal, but got to live another day. I wonder if he will be waiting in line for the doors to open next year.

            Last year on Black Friday, several people were treated for knee, back and head injuries after being mobbed at a Toys-R-Us store in Tennessee. And in 2008, a store employee at a Walmart in Long Island was trampled to death as about 2,000 people jammed the doors prior to a 5:00 a.m. opening.

            When did Christmas shopping become a contact sport? Has Black Friday and all the media hype that goes with it now become a part of our culture? And if so, are we proud of that enough to make it a tradition worth doing year after year? Does all this frantic nonsense make God cry? It seems to me that if God intended a frenzied, maniacal birthday celebration for His Son, He would have sent Him into a fiesta like that in Pamplona, Spain. But instead He chose a quiet little barn, in the middle of the night.

            We all give gifts at Christmas for our own reasons. For many of us, it has to do with the birth of Jesus Christ, the Perfect Giver who gave His all. For others, it is a time to let family and friends know that you care about them. Whatever the reason, let’s not let gift-giving become a mechanical, meaningless chore. If it’s all about standing in long lines waiting for doors to open so you can be one of the first to get the “best deal,” perhaps it’s worth stepping aside for a few moments to consider exactly why you give gifts at Christmas. The key is our focus. Is your focus on the gift, or on the ultimate Gift-Giver?