why i am a druid

in case you didn't hear the horrific news, a walmart employee in nyc was trampled to death just before 5am today - the crowds waiting for the doors to open at 5 could wait no longer, and they broke down the doors, trampling employees & fellow shoppers on their insatiable quest for a bargain. when the announcement was made that an employee had been killed, and the store would be cleared, some shoppers balked, saying i been waiting on line here all night. seriously, c'mon people.

retailers have successfully morphed christmas into commercemas, convincing christians that the way to express their love for their saviour & one another is to exchange material possessions. this is wrong on so many levels it is difficult to begin to explain the wrongness. non-christians, especially agnostics and atheists, have been drawn into the seasonal frenzy of gift giving. those who do not believe in the meaning of christmas -- the birth of jesus -- still find comfort in the thought of a once-yearly chance to gain or earn or buy the love of family & friends. or, to make up for the lack of love shared by sharing material items.

everyone proclaims it is a season of love, sharing, warmth, family, generosity, friends, good times, and so on -- when in reality, it is a season of worry - are the gifts good enough? the house clean enough? the decorations festive enough? the clothing bright enough? how many gifts do i need to have ready for the folks who will show up with a gift for me? yeah, maybe we should learn to let others give us things once in a while, and just truly appreciate it, showing our sincere thanks. okay, right... i know... if we don't have a gift to give in return, no measure of thankfulness will measure up.

and, what about the tragedy of hanukkah? this festival of lights - a midwinter celebration of joy in the miracle of a god who always provides - a time to share fried foods with family & friends by warm candlelight & hearth - this wonderful, simple holiday has been dragged along in the wake of commercemas and corrupted beyond recognition.

shame on christians for corrupting their own holy day -- and double shame for corrupting the holy days of others.