Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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Tuesday afternoon, I went to Hallmark, as I often do around holidays or birthdays.  I was looking for an Easter card to send to an inmate I’ve been corresponding with in the Illinois Department of Corrections and well, I just wanted to send him something different-more fun in some ways-than just an ordinary letter.  Joseph and I have a fairly well established relationship and from the get go, I’ve let him know how large a role faith plays in my life.  I end each of my letters with a Bible verse or two and in turn, he shares his favorite verses with me.  Needless to say, I wanted to get an Easter card that had something to do with the resurrection of Christ.  Though I realize that Hallmark is not a Christian run organization, I didn’t think it would be hard for me to find a religious Easter card.  I mean, let’s face it, if it weren’t for Jesus and Christianity, we wouldn’t have an Easter to celebrate!  I’m sure you can guess where this story is going….  I was very disappointed with the selection of cards I found.  I could literally count on one hand how many cards I found that mentioned something about Jesus, had a cross, or used the word God in them.  I think 3 was the official count.  Had I wanted a card with an Easter bunny, a chick, or even a French Easter penguin, don’t worry-they had that, but heaven forbid they have a card about Jesus! 

It shouldn’t surprise me that the commercialism of our nation has even hit Hallmark so hard, a company that owns Dayspring-one of the most popular Christian and inspirational greeting card companies.  I mean, sure, I was buying the card during Holy Week and maybe they did have more before.  Maybe I can cling to that hope that people just didn’t want to buy those other cards and bought all the Jesus cards first.  But somehow I doubt it.  I think the reality is, people don’t seem to care what Easter is about. 

I go on commercialistic rants around Christmas all the time, getting upset how people focus more on Santa than Jesus, but I never thought Easter was as bad.  I’ve never had a reason to go see what Hallmark sells and well, I guess I’ve just been completely blinded by everything the last few years and just haven’t noticed.  When I think about Christmas and now Easter as well, I think about those countries that’ve never heard the message of Christ-those countries that look to the United States for an example.  If the only time anybody heard of Christmas and Easter was through us and our media, what would they think?  Does it surprise us that there are millions around the world that think Christmas is about Santa not because they’ve chosen to believe that, but because we haven’t told them any different?  Why have we felt the need to take the Lord out of everything?  The fact of the matter is and always will be: Easter is a Christian holiday or celebration.  If someone doesn’t want to celebrate it because they don’t believe it, they don’t have to.  There’s no need to take God out of everything in order to make it appeal to everyone.  After all, this commercialistic Easter, it really doesn’t appeal to me at all.

Lord, my God,
I pray for this nation.  I pray for a nation who is content to thank you but once a year, as long as there’s turkey!  I pray for a nation who invites Santa into Church in order to appeal to children.  I pray for a nation who abandons Jesus at Easter to make way for the chocolate bunny.  O Lord, my God, may you convict this nation and restore your name where it belongs.  May children one day long for Christmas in anticipation of your arrival, not Santa’s.  May words of thanksgiving be heard year round, not just once a year.  May our nation rise up and believe in the power and reality of the Resurrection and may those who don’t know Christ come to know Him because they know us.