Coffee Controversies

 

For the last four years or so companies have been in middle of controversies over forgoing Christmas designs. Starbucks for example became the center of attention when they weren’t going to use Xmas colors or designs in the name of inclusion. This sparked outrage that made them move to making a plain green cup, and later concessions. Honestly it is difficult which stance to take, a company has a right under liberty to not use certain designs and holiday symbols & colors if they want, and bullying them into conceding doesn’t seem very Christ-like to me. That said “The War on Christmas” which maybe a self fulfilling phenomenon at times oppose to the real cases of anti-Nativity escapades outside government buildings that have happened, and the Satanic Christmas Tree this year (https://www.foxnews.com/media/satanic-hail-santa-christmas-tree-faces-blowback-display-wisconsin-museum.amp). The truth is we often look for outrage nowadays, yes there is genuine infringements on religious liberty that need to be addressed, but if we put on lens looking for anti-Christmas spirit, we will find something to support our superstitious like zeal. 

In contrast to The Starbucks Christmas Cup Fiasco, there is Peet’s Coffee new cup design this year which featuring a Dove holding some twigs with berries and written underneath is “Peet’s On Earth,” a play on the words “Peace On Earth” that Gabriel The Angel says, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!” (Luke 2:14, HSCB). Now some may find this sacrilegious, claiming Peet’s is placing themselves in the place of The Prince of Peace Himself, and even go so far in their viewpoint to call it antichrist. So then if Starbuck’s doesn’t give us Folklore Xmas cups we cry out, if Peet’s does a homage to the True Meaning of Christmas in a cleaver we are outraged. See the problem? What I see is the Dove is a very Christian symbol, it harkens to Noah, The Dove who came back after he sent it with a twig, “When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth,” (Genesis 8:11), it draws connections to The Holy Spirit, The Third and Co-Equal person of The Christian Holy Trinity Godhead who appears as a Dove, “the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased,” (Luke 3:22), and The Peet’s On Earth is a cleaver way to pay homage to The Angel Gabriel’s beautiful words, “Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men,” (Luke 2:14), even perhaps making people look up the phrase on a search engine which in turn can lead them to the gospel! 

The issue I am seeing is we are becoming inundated with negativity all the time now, with the News declaring The End of The World every second and that hate not peace and love are prevailing. It is tempting to surrender to the pessimism, to become a mirror of it and see disrespect, dishonor, and disregard around every corner. But as Christians, Jesus said people would know us not by fear, anger, and hate, but by our love, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another,” (John 13:35). We are suppose to be “salt and light,” (Matthew 5:13-16) in a dark world, not reflect more darkness! Our call as children of God (Galatians 3:26) is to be different! To be a City On A Hill!, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14). America is not that City, Israel is not that City, no we the saints, the living Church of Jesus Christ The Lord are The City on The Hill! 

We need to focus more on what we are for: love, truth, peace, hope, salvation, joy, understanding, and etc than what we aren’t for! We are rapidly becoming known only for what we protest, not what we promote! Our call is The Great Commission, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19), to promote Faith in The Holy Triune God! Now I am not saying avoid correcting wrongs, defending liberties, and avoiding being prophetic and correcting the Church; we do have to address the deficiencies and problems, but what I am addressing is the trap of becoming a captive of the negative,  where all you see is the devil’s hand at work and no longer God’s too. 

There are controversies that require our attention, however, let us not invent ones out of a jaded lens fed by pundits and people who make money off your panic and stir up animosity. We need to investigate, to test the spirits (1 John 4:1), not jump to conclusions first that it is always a bad spirit at work; we need to discern real threats from ones formed for us by those in media, and those who want all our peace eaten away so that they can make money off our fear and anger. This holiday season, I urge you to find That Peace on Earth and Good Will toward Man and Womankind. There is plenty to be upset over and feel negative about, but remember we have The Blessed Hope. We have salvation by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ! That alone should be cause for celebration at this time of year! That Christ came and saved us who are hopelessly flawed and yet so precious to God he shed his blood and died in our place for our sins so that we can enter heaven by Him and his sacrifice and resurrection power! Amen.