Brant's Blog of Awesomeness

The Krusty Sage: Quit Buying Stuff You Can't Afford Just Because It's Christmas

(Once again, a warning about the Krusty Sage:  He's krusty.  That means he's pretty opinionated.  He plans no offense to anyone in particular, and has no one in particular in mind.  If you're offended, please feel free to let me -- brant@wayfm.com -- know, and I'll pass it along. He's usually easy for me to find.)

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"Oh, but it's Christmas!  It's a special time of the year!  I know, we're in debt, overall, but it's Christmas, and that's only once a year, and -- "

"And..." you're nuts.  Seriously.

The Sage says it in love.  The Sage also says, in love, that if you spend $150 on your kid for Christmas when you don't have $150, you're not only giving your kid a neat-o Nano, you're giving your kid a gift that keeps on giving:  The gift of foolishness, surrounded by beautiful lights, the scent of pine, and fudge.  The gift of foolishness, on display, etched in memory.  Ah.

Yes, Target and Apple and Best Buy don't advertise many $30 gifts, and they've ratcheted up the expectation level for Christmas.  But -- last time I checked -- your will remains free.  This means you don't have to be a doof.

Yes, your parents may have overspent every year as you grew up.  Yes, they may have been Baby Boomers, seeking to atone for parental guilt, for one or another reason.  Yes, there may have been stacks of presents under your tree.  Yes, you think this is way Christmas "is supposed to be". 

Yes, so what.

Christmas is not "supposed to be" you, buying stuff you don't have money for.  Sorry.  If you're a dad, and feel bad because you can't spend hundreds on everybody, tell them you don't have the money for it, and you'll still have a great Christmas.  If that makes you feel bad, man up.  You're being bullied by a bunch of advertising majors. 

Gee, you're in debt?  How'd that happen?  This is a mystery.  Someone call a C.S.I. unit.  Maybe they can figure out what happened.  Maybe they can piece it together.

Or maybe you bought a bunch of stuff that's ultimately worthless.  Maybe you should stop it.   Maybe Christmas isn't special at all.  Maybe it's just the latest excuse to overspend.  Gee.  Huh.  Wow.  Gosh.  You think?

"Okay, we're in debt, and yeah, we did buy a $1,200 TV, but it's not that simple, because sometimes --"

No, it is that simple.  Sorry.  Next?

"But everyone at my kids' school gets tons of expensive gifts like 360s and Wiis and stuff and -- "  Are you in debt?  "Well, yes, but it's not that simple, and -- "

Nope.  It's that simple. 

"But it's not realistic to spend only $20 per person in this day and age, and -- "  Why?  "It's just not that simple, and -- "

Waah. 

If you don't have the money for it, you don't buy it.  Don't act like your kid "needs" a Zune, either.  It has nothing to do with "needs", or even your kid, really.  It has everything to do with you:  Your desire to have some kind of "perfect Christmas", your guilt, your insecurities, your conflict-avoidance, your expectations, and you know, just generally...you. 

Bottom line:  You wish you a merry Christmas.

"But didn't the 'wise men' bring GOLD to baby Jesus? And fancy myrrh and stuff?  That was extravagant, and -- "  They were royalty.  You think they used a Discover Card?

"But isn't 'Christmas' in the Bible, and -- " No. 

Sheesh.

The "Christmas Shoes" Poll! America's Voice is Heard!

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Nikki Doesn't Take Me Seriously Enough

As if it wasn't bad enough (I lost my best pair of glasses yesterday) I didn't get much respect today at work.

Thankfully, my glasses situation turned out okay, since I had my trusty back-up pair of glasses.  So I wore them this morning.

But it was still frustrating. 

And then, to top things off, my show's producer, Nikki, just didn't seem to respect my ideas this morning.  Normally, she's kinda guarded about my ideas for the show, but this morning, it just seemed like she wasn't even taking me seriously.

Anyway, I feel that my ideas should be respected.  I'm not sure what the issue was.

Christmas in Dunbar Village

WAY-FM dropped by a home in Dunbar Village this morning, along with Urban Youth Impact.  We visited a very sweet family -- one who had never had a Christmas tree before. 

We brought a real tree.  And lights, and garland, and jingle bells, and stockings, and presents for the mom and her four children, ages 12, 8, 2, and 4 months. 

We plugged in the little star, and watched Chance's eyes light up.  He wanted to sit with it forever.

Families need toys this Christmas, families just like this!  Go here for all the information about the UYI Christmas Store, where parents will be able to "shop" for their little (and not so little) ones, from zero to teens.  They need thousands of NEW, unwrapped toys, pronto.  It can happen with your help, but we need thousands of toys today...

(Also pictured is my friend Paul Adams, from our midday show on WAY-FM.)

Church Shootings and the Myth of Safety

"If we're not safe in a mall, or in a church -- when are we safe?  What's happening to us?"

Well, you're never safe.  And the answer to the second question?  Not much.

It's not that stories like what happened at New Life Church or the YWAM training center aren't tragic and sickening -- they are.  But what they're *not* is evidence that something has changed, and now we're not safe.

We never were.

"We", of course, being human beings.  We can buy insurance, we can wear our seat belts, we can bike with a helmet, we can buy that car with the 5-star safety rating, we can look both ways before crossing the street.  We can -- and should, in many cases -- do that stuff.  But we're not safe.

We can be more safe, or less safe, but we can't be safe.  Much of our scientific establishment is focused on a single project:  defeating aging, and ultimately defeating death.  But -- forgive me -- it won't work.  We can delay the inevitable, but the inevitable remains the inevitable.  It's a matter of when.

When we see evil at work, when we see lives cut short, we cry, and we pray for the families involved.  But we should not be shocked.  This has been human experience since the very beginning.  Murder dates back as far as it can go -- think Cain and Abel.  Some historians say there are fewer than 100 years in our recorded history that have not been marked by war. 

We cannot guarantee our safety, nor our children's.  We can balance their diet, guide their steps, hold their hands, buckle them in, and take their temperature.  But we cannot guarantee safety or health.  We've never been able to.  Not in the halcyon 1950's, not in the pioneer 1800's, not here, not there, not ever. 

Evil, disease, and death are many things, many tragic things, but what they are not, truly, is shocking. 

And Jesus spoke to an unsafe people, an ancient people unsure of its status, without modern medicine, without a voice in government, without a guaranteed food supply, and He told them (God, in the flesh, told them) "I tell you not to worry about everyday life...Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."

We are not safe, but God never promises safety.  He promises -- to those who want to follow His way of living -- that we'll have everything we need.  And that, amazingly, means everything we need to cope with an unsafe world.

Yes, evil is here, and we should not be surprised. 

But God promises, and He delivers, and we should not be surprised.

Are Christmas Trees Pagan?

Were "Christmas" trees originally pagan symbols?

Yes.  And I don't much care.

I hope that's okay.  You see, as much as some religious folks will object to using symbols, like trees, they say are pagan-ized, I have a soft spot in my heart for them. 

Trees are beautiful, valuable, and created "good".  Yes, they were used by pre-Christian religions as symbols for fertility, in ceremonies to false gods, and in Roman customs.  Yep.  All that, and more.  No doubt about it.

So, some conclude, that does it.  Putting a tree in your home is a pagan tradition, and you are sellling out your Christianity by doing it.  And, I suppose, if they think it's sacrilege, they shouldn't do it.  Paul writes about legalism, and tells us not to deliberately show off our freedom to the weaker brother.  (But -- interesting, isn't it -- that legalist really is the one with the "weaker faith", Paul says.  Not the person who enjoys the freedom.)

Anyway, trees were created beautiful, then cut down, misused, reputation soiled.  It's my thinking that God made trees.  They're still good.  They're still beautiful.  And it's my thinking that God redeems -- He "buys back", and is in the restoration business.  He takes a something that's really HIS, and He takes it back, in spite of its reputation.  He called them "good", and He meant it.

Like I say, I have a soft spot for those trees.    I sure hope they're redeemable. 

I have a lot in common with them.

Merry Christmas.

On Depression and Healing

Thanks for all the emails and calls during -- and after -- this morning's show. 

It's another thing about WAY-FM that I love:  I feel like I can be honest.  And -- honestly -- I don't remember that from the Christian radio I grew up with.  That observation's not to denigrate those on the air in those days;  I think we radio listeners didn't want honesty.  We wanted to believe that somehow, some way, some person could be "out there", living that perfect life.

When you're in the media, you can use it to project just that:  "I've got it all together, check me out, I'm living in victory, I'm well-dressed and funny and boy, I've got all the answers."  You can do that in on a radio or TV show.  But your family knows better.

I shared stories this morning.  Not just my own, regarding depression, but those of others, like my friend Jean, who suffers from spina bifida.  She's prayed for healing.  She's been prayed over for healing -- countless times.  She's been told she lacked faith, and that's why she was stuck in a wheelchair as a little girl.

She grew up, made the best of it (to the Glory of God) and won the Boston Marathon eight times, setting an all-time record, wheelchair or otherwise.  She was featured in a PBS documentary, and on Good Morning America, each time thanking God for his goodness.  She believes God wanted to use her weakness to highlight His goodness.

Several callers and emailers suggested, after I shared this story, that no, she really did lack faith, and that's the problem.  And, for that matter, it's my problem, too.

I respectfully disagree.  If you are suffering, there is no promise that you will no longer suffer.  In fact, Jesus seems to promise quite the opposite.  There are believers in poverty, believers suffering from persecution, believers suffering from disease, not because of their lack of faith, but because we live in a world that is broken.

God promises He will fix it.  He will set things right.

In Job, God famously calls the questioner on the carpet.  Job was wondering, "Why do I suffer?" 

Who are you to question me?  God says.  "Where were YOU when I laid the earth's foundation?"

He blasts Job, the questioner, then rewards him, richly, for suffering and remaining faithful amidst it.

What do I learn from this?  Several things, but these are paramount:

1)  God did not instantly answer Job's cries to relieve his suffering. 

2)  God did not explain to Job why Job was having to endure it.

3)  ...but there WAS a reason for it, and

4)  Job was rewarded for remaining faithful.

I once went to church with a woman named Cathy, who was a mom of five, afflicted with cancer.  She prayed, her husband prayed -- we all prayed -- fervently for healing.  One Sunday, we got the good news:  She'd been declared cancer-free!  It was a miracle!  We cried with thankfulness.

She died within six months.  Somehow, the cancer returned.  I don't think it's fair to say she lacked faith, that it was her fault.  I don't think it's biblical to say it, either.  All of our lives are like a vapor, and we are but jars of clay.  We can't answer the "whys" in a flippant manner, because we're then pretending to know something we don't.  From Job, we know that good people suffer, it's not always their fault, God has His reasons for allowing it, and eventually, He will set things right.

If you suffer from depression, there may be a good reason for it.  And it may not be something you can control.  It may not be for lack of faith.  You may need to talk to a Christian counselor. 

As a brother with much to be thankful for, but who is also broken, I recommend it.

On "The Christmas Wars"

(Here's a tongue-in-cheek take on the "Christmas wars", I wrote as a Sun-Sentinel op-ed.  Thought I'd post it here, in case you wanted to pass it along, or start some discussions with it with those who might object to "Merry Christmas!"  Or school districts who don't want to acknowledge our cultural history.  And, by the way...Merry Christmas.)

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Happy Wednesday!

No, wait.  Check that.  You likely know that “Wednesday” really means “Woden’s Day” -- a nod to the Teutonic god. 

I, for one, do not worship Woden.  I'm not wont to worship Woden, and, well, wouldn't worship Woden.  Perhaps you pursue a personal relationship with Woden.  But maybe not.

So forgive my insensitivity.  Granted, in this culture, the fourth day of the week is, most obviously, “Wednesday” – why, it’s as obvious as, say, December 25^th is Christmas – but we shouldn’t simply say things like that out loud because “it’s been that way” for centuries.

It’s time to recognize, and celebrate, our differences.  Joining the celebration of religious expression is easy:  Simply be offended by everyone else’s religious expression.  Celebrate good times, come on.

What’s disturbing:  Our own government continues to refer to this day as the Day of Woden, clearly embracing one religious view over others.   Even our public schools embrace Woden, throughout school publications and practices.  While I’m not steeped in Teutonic lore, I suspect, based on our monthly cafeteria calendars, that Woden remains the Teutonic Lord of pizza square, pear, brownie and choice of milk.

Not to mention these “Saturdays” we keep having!   I try to be open-minded about this stuff, but c’mon:  “Saturn” is just the Roman equivalent of the Greek god “Cronus”.  What did Cronus do?  Oh, boy.

“Cronus was the ruling Titan who came to power by castrating his Father Uranus. His wife was Rhea. There offspring were the first of the Olympians. To insure his safety Cronus ate each of the children as they were born…”

That's pretty much not cool.   I don’t want to judge, I'd have to walk a mile in his shoes, etc., but -- I don't know, man -- this just seems out of line. 

But he gets his own DAY for that.  He castrates his dad, eats his kids…and then mall stores honor Cronus with “Saturday Sales Events”?  I don’t even want to know what goes down at those things. 

So yeah, stop saying “Saturday” around me.  New rule:  Even if the culture is steeped in it, and even if most even prefer it; even if it might seem to be reasonable to expect I could accommodate it, heck, even if it IS Saturday:  don’t say it.

Times are changing.  I remember my public high school (!) marching band, performing that song by Chicago: You know what day of the week, in the park, I think it was the fourth of that month named after a militaristic dead white guy.

I doubt the whole crowd at the Assumption, Illinois football game was into Cronus.  Krokus, yes.  Cronus, pretty much no.  Couldn't we have found something else to play?

Let’s re-name everything, and pretend our culture appeared out of thin air, thirty seconds ago.  Sure, it would be a massive, and massively strange, project.   We could make a court case out of it, since the Constitution itself doesn’t afford different protections for expression of mostly-dead religions and expression of religions more widely practiced.

Or, we could just chill, and recognize that, for example, Saturday is Saturday, whether I worship Saturn or not. 

And we could even say that December 25^th is “Christmas” whether you’re a Christian or not.  Heck, maybe then, with one of the most painfully annoying melody lines ever written, we could even wish you a merry one.