I wanted to give this story no attention whatsoever—because there should be no more attention brought to it. This weekend I read from smaller news sources about “Christians” who are outraged about the new RED Starbucks cups.
Starbucks apparently hates all things Christmas because they didn’t put snowflakes on their cups this year. You would think with all the media attention that they just broke out black cups that said, “I hate Jesus,” but they do not.
As I ranted to Grant about how ridiculous this was, I thought, it won’t get much play. Real believers in Christ cannot really be “outraged” about a red cup from a company that has never been a Christian organization or pretended to be. There are so many other hurts in our world to be outraged about. But, then this morning I saw the same quotes and stories on the Today Show, CNN, MSN, and most major news sources. And it was like my shoulders just slumped. This makes me sad and frustrated. Sad because I have non-Christian friends who will see the story and think this is what Christians are really outraged about.
This is the only reason I write something. I am distraught to think those who don’t believe in Jesus will see this craziness and think this represents those who love Jesus. That the article on Breitbart.com that says, "the red cups are now an anti-Christmas symbol," that every news outlet tends to regugitate speaks for us. Or the guy who did his" prank" on Starbucks by falsely telling the barista his name was Merry Christmas, so he can start a movement of embarrassing baristas, is the voice of us.
Let’s be clear, they are NOT. Things like this divide us. Starbucks cups are red, who cares? A commercial
symbol of Christmas like a snowflake or snowman from a secular company, on a coffee cup, will not bring others to understand the beautiful story of Christmas. A secular company should not be held responsible to tell the story of Christmas.
We are RESPONSIBLE.
We, as believers, are the ones to tell this beautiful story of Jesus coming down as a humble baby in a manger—one who was born, lived for all, the sinner, the saint, the homeless, the rejected, the unlovable, and died to give us life. Every last one of us. We are the ones who tell the story of Christmas.
So dear believers, with a humble heart I ask you to not be sucked into this, let the cups go and let our actions of Christ love for others be the relevant story.
How about instead of embarrassing the barista at Starbucks with a prank, we encourage and ask them how their day is? And if they give us great service we recognize it. How about we see past the “red” cups and open our eyes to others who hurt in this season, who have lost someone close to them, who stress about the gifts they cannot buy for their loved ones, or who feel lonely when December 1 hits? Or better yet, how about we buy someone who is standing on the corner in the bitter cold one of those red cups of coffee? How about we change this story? Let’s help the media write a different one. One that expresses the majority, and not the few. Let’s use our time and energy to truly express Christmas.
With love,
Kristi