I refused to celebrate it, muchless call it "Black Friday"

Brad Boydston hit it with his Tuesday, Nov. 24 post:

WHEN DID "Black Friday" become a public holiday? I mean, the shopping day after Thanksgiving has been a big deal in the States for years and retailers called it "Black Friday" amongst themselves because supposedly that's the day that moved them out of red ink and into the black. But now they have "Black Friday" ads on television and they talk about it as though it were a holiday in and of itself. And they've even suckered the news media into the whole charade with special reports on the holiday preparations. Marketing hype. Absurd.

When we name things, we give them status and respect. We acknowledge not only their existence, but their meaning for us. It is even more telling when we create our own holidays. Instead of receiving the gift of a Holy Day, which presupposes a Giver, we take matters into our own hands--time and space--and hallow them to idols of our making.

"Black Friday."

The world, in its arrogance, can only ape what God has already brought into being, but in doing so, it twists His good gifts. Black Friday is the world 's answer to Good Friday:

Instead of sacrifice, there is greed.
Instead of isolation, there are crowds.
Instead of vinegar, there are lattes.
Instead of whispers, carols blare over loudspeakers.
Instead of receiving grace, people go deeper in debt.
Instead of darkness, there are wildly blinking neon lights
Instead of forgiveness, there are fights.
Instead of atonement, there is shoving; disagreement; defiance; loss.

Instead of a tomb ready to explode with new Life, there are empty wallets and empty hearts.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!