Merry Christmas (not) from Safeway

A was at Salem's downtown Safeway, buying Christmas gift cards for homeless as part of Christmas at St. Mark Lutheran. The clerk commented, "That's nice. Christmas won't be so good for us. Safeway just cut our hours from 40 a week to 20. They did that for every one in the store.''

The news media measures the success of Christmas by how the stores owners are doing, which translates into the rich and super rich. But Christ identified Himself with the kind of people corporations and their ceo's downsize and lay off. So those who truly keep Christmas will share his concern for those who have little, not much. In that spirit a number of family members are not buying gifts for others only but giving to the poor of this world in honor of their loved ones. An excellent idea! But I don't think you'll see a media report on that.