TBC Notes

A Great Christmas Idea…I Think

To me, Christmastime has always been a mixed bag, filled with pluses and minuses. There’s no sense elaborating on that because everyone has his own perspective. Suffice it to say that I abhor the blatant commerciality of the event, and yet it brings a smile to my face when I hear in public hymns such as “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Joy to the World,” and “O Holy Night.” Walking through the produce section of Safeway as those carols are clearly and emphatically heard speaking of Jesus and the gospel, I fully expect the veggies to rise up and honor their Creator. On the other hand, I’m moved to the point of discouragement when I come across a man donning a Santa’s cap and ringing a bell as he exhorts the shoppers to drop some money into his organization’s kettle.

What’s my problem? The organization, as we all know, is the Salvation Army (SA). My concern is that the organization is asking the public (i.e., mostly the lost), for money. I don’t find that form of begging encouraged anywhere in the Bible. Furthermore, I’ve never seen or heard of a Salvation Army attendant giving out anything related to salvation. That’s just for starters, and I’ll stop, now, in order not to turn this into an extensive diatribe. I also want to get my idea across, which I hope isn’t an original one.

Few husbands relish accompanying their spouses to the mall on gift-hunting expeditions. But what if they were to go there and stand near the SA kettle, armed with a stack of tracts that clearly explain the free gift of salvation and handed them out to interested shoppers? Last month’s TBC Notes mentioned our Four-Minute Tract, but there are lots of others available that also communicate the gospel. Think about it. Pray about it. Just one gospel tract that you hand out, and that is believed, would mean that a person has received the free gift of eternal life. No Christmas present could be more significant!

T. A. McMahon

Executive Director