The Crowds Are Gathering...

Everywhere He looked, the crowds were gathering and making their way up the mountain...

One of my favorite pastimes is people watching. It's so much fun to be in crowds of people and watch their habits...their actions...hear their statements...and see the truth! There are two days of the year that could be termed the 'holy grail' of people watching...the day AFTER Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. On these two days, the inner self...or should I say inner beast...can always be seen. From the sweetest little grandma to the dirtiest old man, one's true self is always on center stage for these two days.

My annual ritual for these specific days are to be up early to be in a shopping mall...with at least a 5-shot latte in hand and another one brewing...find a safe place, if possible, to be out of the way of all the shoving and snatching, and just observe. It's absolutely amazing what I've seen during these times over the years. And with each year, brings a different twist. Each year, it seems, there is always this "one" item that industry analysts determine to be a 'must have' on everyone's list. And it never fails, there is always a shortage of "the gift"...which in turn, releases the demons.

I have seen fine, up-standing citizens...or so I thought, church deacons...by title only, church leaders...so 'they' thought, and countless others become barbaric in their actions and savages in their speech when faced with the thought of not being able to get one of that specific year's blockbuster items.

This year, thousands will gather outside their favorite stores in hopes that 'waiting till the last minute' will pay off...hours before the turkey has settled from the Thanksgiving meal and hours before Santa has hitched the reindeer up to his sleigh. This year's projected hot item...TMX Elmo...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The much-anticipated top-secret 10th-anniversary Elmo, code-named "T.M.X. Elmo" is finally here - and it's the hysterically laughing, belly-clutching, floor-thumping Elmo. Fisher-Price, a division of No. 1 toymaker Mattel , unveiled the new T.M.X. Elmo to the world Tuesday. Elmo fans could face a shortage of the new T.M.X. Elmo over the holidays. (Price:$39.99)
"T.M.X." stands for 2 things - "Tickle Me extreme" or "Tickle Me 10," representing the toy's 10-year milestone. Elmo fans should grab the new toy while they can because industry analysts are already anticipating a shortage of Elmo T.M.X. over the holiday shopping season. (Read the entire article here)

I can just see it now...a WWF Smackdown is taking place in toy aisle 4, while just one aisle over is an imitation of a Jerry Springer-like production entitled "I'll Give You An Elmo!"...meanwhile over the PA system a nasally female's voice attempts to rise above the ruckus and screams, "would the little ol' lady please put the wig back on the bald guy...and would the lady in the cowboy boots kindly remove her foot from Mrs So-and-So's _______!" Yep, this is going to be a good year...

Even though this scenario will play out in malls across America...and even though as humorous as it will be, this type of foolishness saddens me. We have allowed ourselves to become materialized to the point that we will go hours out of our way to stand in line for hours in order to attempt to purchase an item that probably will be sold out by the time we get to the counter. We march in masses of mortal mayhem attempting to convince ourselves this type of behavior is acceptable. What's wrong with this picture...

Matthew 15:30 tells us of another multitude...a numberless mass of people seeking a Savior...searching...grasping...hoping. Now, it's 2000 years later, and we're involved in a new multitude, and we're still searching...grasping...hoping. The first crowd was in search of a man called Jesus...the Giver of hope...the Giver of grace. I'm afraid that we're involved in a multitude that is quite possibly seeking a giver of giggles, that will only last till the batteries wear out...

"Father, help me to stay focused. Help me to march to a different tune...Your tune. Never let me settle for a present...only Your Presence...amen."