Last week, I wrote on what I learned about blessings at a Starbucks after having someone pay for my coffee in the drive-thru one day and the shenanigans that ensued when I tried to pay it forward.
Then, the great red cup controversy of 2015 broke out with millions – no, BILLIONS – of supposed outraged “radical Christians” being angry because Starbucks removed all references to the Christmas season and hence Christ from their now plain red cups. The Internet got the crazy eyes and my Facebook feed overflowed with talk about the company’s supposed attack on Christianity.
So, I decided to do my own homework to find out what was so special about the annual red cup that supposedly had my fellow brethren-in-Christ so up in arms this year. Here’s what I found:
Last year’s cup looked almost identical to this year’s cup, only there was a faint outline of a bow.
2013’s cup had a single ornament, surrounded by leaves, triangles, and strange parallelograms that I guess are supposed to be reminiscent of the Christmas season somehow.
In 2012, the cup had a creepy snowman winking at the beverage consumer. (Nothing reaffirms my faith in Jesus Christ than a snowman and I’m surprised nobody protested its removal in 2013.)
The 2011 cup pictured a boy and his dog sledding down a snowy hill. The kid looks ecstatic but his dog’s face is stoic, as if he knows he’s headed for certain death, Thelma and Louise-style.
In 2010, the cup had a lady wrapped in a scarf with a coffee snobbish nose stuck in the air and snowflakes falling all around her with the words ‘stories are gifts’ on it. (What’s that supposed to mean, Starbucks! The Bible is “just stories” to you guys? You don’t know how close you came to igniting the people’s fury with this obviously unChristian yet still ambiguous message!)
In 2009, the cup had a silhouette of a tree with two ornaments that said ‘wish’ and ‘hope’ on them. The most Christmas-y of any of their cups, in my honest yet humble I-don’t-really-care opinion.
Let me settle the debate right now – Starbucks sells a brand of coffee called Christmas Blend. They also sell an advent calendar. And FYI, I’m pretty sure they still play Christmas music.
As far as I can tell, they have no plans to pull the plug on any of this, so we can sleep easy tonight.
I don’t know if Starbucks really hates Christmas. Or the second amendment. Or the military. Or <insert whatever it is that you care about here>. I don’t know a single person in my church that gives a flying crap about the red cup and will stop buying their coffee because of this nonsense. Come to think of it, I don’t know anyone outside of my church that thinks this is a real issue, either.
The truth is, one guy decided to make a video urging Christians when ordering their cup of Joe that their name is – wait for it – “Merry Christmas,” to force their barista, a.k.a. Starbucks, to make these plain red cups more Christmas-y and force the company put Christ back in Christmas.
Here’s the thing…
I’ll worry about Starbucks not saying “Merry Christmas” when they hand me a Pumpkin Spice Latte only after I get the courage to consistently say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays.”
I’ll worry about how Starbucks shows the real meaning of Christmas on their coffee cups only after I figure out how to show the real meaning of Christmas to my kids this year when all they do is ask “Can you get me this?” every time they see a commercial after watching Bubble Guppies.
And if you really want to keep the Christ in Christmas, forget about Starbucks and make it a point this year to finally forgive someone who hurt you, no matter how long ago it may have been.
Call someone you haven’t spoken to in years and repair that relationship.
Give to the next homeless person that you see walk by your car at the next stoplight.
Treat people like you would want to be treated.
Feed the hungry and clothe the naked.
Welcome the unwanted.
Be a friend to someone who feels alone.
Love those who hate you, even when it’s a lot easier to just hate them back.
Or invite someone who may not have family nearby over for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
This isn’t a war on Christmas. It’s a war on focusing on the right thing (no matter the time of year).
The next time you see that stupid red cup with no words or illustrations, let it remind us all to fill in the empty space by intentionally doing something Christ-like that will really matter to somebody.