Black Friday Ticket Scalping

Lily was reading to me out of the Oregonian about Christmas shoppers who were getting free tickets to buy bargains later. Once they had the ticket or tickets they were turning around and selling those tickets to others who had not arrived early enough to get a free ticket. Is this capitalism at its best?

Lily turned to me and sadly said we need more Christ and less 'mas.' Less 'mas' indeed. That is the quest, is it not, for more and more and more? Some would simply say those who sold the tickets were merely taking advantage of an opportunity. Is there any time when our opportunistic nature is controlled?

Do we think of God's blessings as God only prospering our circumstances? I read that we have not, because we ask not. I read that God is my portion, but I also read that God knows what I need before I ask.

God is more concerned with the attitudes that shape our relationship with God and others than our sensual wants and needs. Sensual points inward. It is self seeking and temporary. It is not forever, like relationships can be. Relationships point outward. It is a holy thing to realize we are all children of one household, united by a common Father. Would you sell a ticket you got for free to your brother or your sister?

What happened to peace on earth and good will between men? Even if you don't believe in the reason for the season doesn't the good will part appeal to you?

Psalm 133:1 says, "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!"

Will we ever come to believe in and practice variety of thought and unity of heart? Will gender, racial, religious, philosophical or financial unity ever come to the extremes that make up this world? Unity can come only from love and love is not opportunistic. Love has nothing to do with gender, race, religion, philosophy, or money.

Fifty six years ago Martin Luther King said, "You have allowed the material means by which you live to out distance the spiritual ends for which you live. You have allowed your mentality to outrun your morality. You have allowed your civilization to outdistance your culture."

He also said, "The end of life is not to be happy. The end of life is not to achieve pleasure and avoid pain. The end of life is to do the will of God, come what may." The will of God is that we would love one another, not scalp one another.

It's the season of good will. It's time to watch our favorite TV shows that symbolize Christmas; Santa and Harry Potter.