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A Tempest in a Coffee Cup

Posted by on November 11, 2015
If Christians want the world to know the true meaning of Christmas, it's up to demonstrate it, not corporate America.

If Christians want the world to know the true meaning of Christmas, it’s up to us, not corporate America, to demonstrate it.

Social media has been abuzz over the past couple of days over Starbucks new holiday cup design. Instead of adorning their overpriced coffee cups with reindeer or snowflakes like they did in the past, the have apparently decided to go with a simple red cup with a green logo. Gasp!

It’s scandalous, I know. An entire campaign led by some conservative Christians, (the key word here is SOME), has been started, bashing corporate America’s war on Christmas and Starbucks is accused of leading the charge.

Let’s all pause a moment and ask a few questions. Are snowflakes or reindeer considered Christian in nature? I don’t think so. It’s not like they ever adorned their cups with Nativity scenes. Furthermore, Starbucks has made it clear they are a fairly liberal leaning company with many of their policies. Is anyone truly surprised that a very secular company would choose a secular design for the holidays?

I would never really expect anyone at Starbucks to wish me a Merry Christmas. I would assume they would say Happy Holidays, which in no way offends me. As a Christian, I can always say “Merry Christmas.” I don’t expect corporate America to believe or act the way I do.

There’s plenty going on in the world and in this country for Christians to be offended by. The high school coach who was put on administrative leave for praying after a football game, that’s offensive. A gunman who gunned down Christians during worship service in Charleston, that’s offensive. A small business being put out of business for refusing to bake a cake for an event that is against their religion, that’s offensive. The forced removal of the Ten Commandments from public places, that’s offensive.

Christians being killed all over the world, simply for professing Christ as their savior, that’s offensive.

Starbucks’ cup design shouldn’t even register on our radar.

As Christians, I really feel like we need to do better. We should come together and support what we feel is righteous in the eyes of God. We also have the right and the duty to stand up against what we feel is government infringing on our rights of freedom of religion.

But, before we go of the rails and protest a Nativity Scene being removed from the public square, maybe we should ask ourselves if we have one in our own front yard. Would there be a stronger statement than every Christian home in the country having one on display for all to see? What about every Christian business?

Perhaps we should stop looking at the secular world around us and bemoaning the fact that they have lost the true meaning of Christmas, and start demonstrating the true meaning of Christmas ourselves.

We can say Merry Christmas. We can give to the needy. We can love our neighbor. We can show the world who we are by how we live and act.

I’m sure if you feel the need to proclaim the message of Christmas on your coffee cup, you could purchase a Christmas tumbler and that would be more environmentally friendly anyway.

I have no idea if Jesus was a coffee drinker or if He would shop at Starbucks, but the Bible lists lots of things that were close to His heart. I can think of many things going on today that would very likely offend Him. I can’t imagine coffee cups making the list.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

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