One man and One red cup

“I’m glad Jewish people didn’t get upset at Starbucks. Just imagine how tough it’d be for baristas to write ‘Happy Hanukkah’ on every cup.”

Over the last week a red cup/Christmas controversy about Starbucks and their purported anti-Christmas conspiracy exploded on social media. It all started after former pastor, Joshua Feuerstein, posted a viral video to Facebook stating the company was removing “Christmas from their cups because they hate Jesus.” But what most don’t realize is that Josh Feuerstein has been at this for years, posting hundreds of videos of himself screaming mini-sermons into his smartphone camera. While he has almost 2 million followers on Facebook, (it’s not clear how many became fans after the Starbucks takedown went viral) most had no idea who Feuerstein was before his video. Feuerstein’s often incendiary views are part of his whole public persona. Apparently, he loves to fan the flame of public opinion.

  Yet, to my knowledge, no notable Christian leader or group has joined his one man boycott. On the contrary, most Christians are vocally opposing it. Many have watched Feuerstein’ grandstanding from the sidelines and even had some fun with the silliness of it all. His “anger” gave billions of dollars of free advertising to the very company he supposedly disdains. There are though important lessons for us as Bible-believers from this entire stunt.

  Too often outrage is our default mode. It seemed that most Christians who were “outraged,” weren’t outraged at Starbucks but were outraged at the supposed Christians making this an issue. Liberal media outlets like The Huffington Post had a field day ridiculing Christians incensed over this, but they’d have real difficulty finding those legions of Christians who were so angered over this. Most were just outraged that someone had made it an issue. Anger is dangerous, yet that seems to be the first weapon of choice for the average Christian whether it’s toward the secular media, the devolving of the culture, government, etc. Many will rationalize that Jesus got angry. That’s true but the reason that Jesus’ anger was so powerful and garners our attention is that anger was so rare with Jesus. It was anything but His default mode. He truly lived out His name, “the Prince of Peace.”

  There is true power even in one voice. With a world population of 7 billion and some 320 million Americans, most of us feel very, very small, even minute. Yet, just one man, Josh Feuerstein, literally caused social media to erupt. English poet, John Donne was right, “No man is an island.” Or, as the Bible insightfully reminds us, “For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself” (Romans 14:7). You are the only Dad or Mom that your children will have. Even if you’re past the childrearing years, you’re still influencing them. Our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers even our Facebook friends are watching. Yet, what are they learning about Jesus, life, and what has true value from us?

  Those don’t know Jesus will usually act like people who don’t know Jesus. America is not a Christian nation. If it is, why do you lock your doors at night? Starbucks has never claimed to be a Christian company. Howard Schultz, the founder and CEO of Starbucks is not a Christian, so why would we expect him to live by biblical values? He is not only a coffee aficionado, he’s a true humanitarian who passionately seeks to take care of his employees and have a positive work environment. I find that his dedication to what he believes, puts me to shame as a Christian. His books, Onward and For Love of Country are powerful books and challenged my own heart. Add to that, many believers are employed by Starbucks. I have a childhood friend who manages one and uses her position as an opportunity to share the light of the gospel. We quickly forget that for us to be effective as “salt” in a decaying world, we must get out of the saltshaker. Both biblical heroes, Daniel and Joseph, were leaders in pagan cultures, using their positions to do God’s will and bring Him glory! God has placed you and me where we are for the same purpose.  

  The media has far too much influence on us. Most of us are far more familiar with current events or celebrities than we are with the eternal God or His timeless Word. Media is part of “a-muse” which means to “not think.” Biblical Christianity demands “musing” or “thinking.” The media whether it’s a news report, sitcom or movie communicates primarily to our emotions, not our intellect. The vast majority of it is little more than mental junk food. While feelings are part of God’s design, they’re not to be in the driver’s seat of our lives. First our intellect, then our will and finally our emotions are to direct us. Unfortunately, when most watch the media, they stop thinking and thus are manipulated. Add to that editing and censorship of only what fits the worldview of those in control, and you’re frequently only receiving a fraction of truth and reality. So we must stop and think.

  The war on Christmas is an old one. I’m not sure why the new red cup is even an issue. In the past, the Starbuck’s holiday cups had nothing to do with Christmas. There were snowflakes, ornaments, snowmen and sledding pictures. Other than the ornaments, those are staple items wherever there is winter and snow for several months each year. Add to that, we don’t know when Jesus was actually born. Most scholars think that He was born in the fall, not the winter. But Christmas is really about Christ-mas, not all of the other traditions that have squeezed Jesus out of the picture.

  Some ingenious marketers from the Victorian era began the trend of turning Christmas into a gift buying commercial event. In 1939 President Roosevelt moved the Thanksgiving holiday back a week to extend the Christmas shopping season. Today Christmas has very little to do with the birth of Jesus. Walk through the aisles of most stores and you’ll have difficulty finding a nativity scene. Recently, when I was at Home Depot, I saw Star Wars figurines that you can decorate your lawn with during the Christmas Season. I still haven’t figured out what Yoda has to do with Christmas, but I’m sure that they’re selling tons of them.  

  But the real war on Christmas takes place in our own hearts. Most of us feel overly stressed during the Christmas season – to buy the right gift, send out all the cards, to have a Norman Rockwell family Christmas feast, etc. I know that I do. We quickly forget and miss the opportunity to thank God and share with a lost world that Christmas is not about red cups or all of the other hype. Christmas is about a loving Father sending His only Son to take on the form of a man so that He could die a horrible death for our sins. Christmas is about giving that one gift 2,000 years ago – God’s gift to us! “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). 

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