I recently received a forwarded email asking me to write to the chairman of GAP and tell him I was angry that he had taken Christ out of Christmas completely in his clothing stores, and all but twice on the company website.

Rather, I wrote him to say that while as a follower of Jesus Christ I identify strongly with many of those who are inundating him with emails these days, I apparently differ from them in that I see no mention of shopping for cool clothes in the biblical account of Christmas. I told him it is my understanding that Jesus came for individual people and for communities and even for humankind as a whole, to love and serve and heal and teach and forgive sin and ultimately to die and rise again and in all of it to show us who God is. And I said I’m not sure God is losing sleep over the fact that fewer corporations are invoking Jesus’ name in order to boost sales this time of year.

I went on to suggest that Jesus’ life and teaching indicate that he is much more concerned with how a man runs his business – that as the boss he leads with integrity, that he honors decent, honest, hard work and that he values justice and equity for all involved, from sweatshops in Cambodia to cash registers in retail stores in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to leather chairs in corporate offices in San Francisco.

So I ask this: if we’re struggling to find Christ this Christmastime, is it possible that we’ve been looking in all the wrong places? Could it be that if Christ is to be found at all in the shopping mall, it’s not in the flashing neon sign overhead but in the wrinkled faces and watery eyes of those outside, in the cold, with the ringing bells?

Could it be that we – Christians , rather than evil secular executives – have long since taken Christ out of Christmas by hijacking this holiday (“holy day”) on behalf of commercialism and greed? And could it be that the way to put Christ back on the throne in our hearts is by taking seriously his teaching that whatever we do for the least of these among us, we have done to him?

If you’re inclined to answer yes to any of these questions, World Relief and Advent Conspiracy can give you practical ways to truly begin celebrating Christmas.

“We cannot do it alone. We need good allies such as you. We need … the faith community to help be a voice to the voiceless people. Your engagement can push governments to push through on their commitments. Do not underestimate your power. With faith and the will, we can make a difference.” - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, speaking to a group of evangelicals recently.

Full article here.

I recently had the chance to write an article on Beth Good, who heads up the AIDS response for Eastern Mennonite Missions. The article was published in The Mennonite.

Yesterday, as it happens, was World AIDS Day, marked by thousands of events around the world stressing the urgency of the situation.

I urge you to learn more about the AIDS pandemic here.