Friday, November 19, 2010

Smoking Jack's Pipe: A Horrid Racket


There are some men who are quotable. Two men whose last names begin with "L" come to mind; C.S. Lewis and Martin Luther. Their words were at the same time wonderful and terrible. I do not have a book of Luther quotes, but I do have book of Lewis quotes. I thought I would post a quote or two from time to time. Here are two quotes about Christmas. It makes one wonder what he would say now when it is barely mid-November and Christmas catalogs are out, the Salvation Army is already ringing their bells, and there 47 aisles devoted to Christmas at Wal-Mart.

"I feel exactly as you do about the horrid commercial racket they have made out of Christmas. I send no cards and give no presents except to children." (Letter, 1953)

"Just a hurried line...to tell a story which puts the contrast between our feast of the Nativity and all this ghastly "Xmas" racket at its lowest. My brother heard a woman on a bus say as the bus passed a church with a crib [manger] outside it 'O Lord! They bring religion into everything. Look-they're dragging it even into Christmas now!'" (Letter, 1957)

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Let the saints be joyful in glory, let them sing aloud on their beds, let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; to bind the kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron. Psalm 149:5-8