My early morning walks with God rarely fail to produce a meaningful thought to ponder for the remainder of my day(sometimes for days and days). This morning was no different. For the past few years I've taken a self righteous stand against Christmas Trees (along with Walmart, Hummers, George Bush, iPhones, and so much more).

As I walked through my neighborhood at 4 this morning listening to Eric Clapton's "Walking on Faith" ( I do believe in iPods) I slowed to admire a beautiful outdoor Christmas Tree in my neighbor's yard. It was as tall as the house and made completely of green strings of light. I paused to take in it's beauty in the predawn winter haze until I remembered "Hey wait, I'm against Christmas Trees."

My contention is that Christmas Trees have no place in a "true" Christian celebration of the birth of Christ. First of all, they are a pagan symbol co-opted from the Druids or the Celts or some other Western European myth based religion. Secondly, in America, they have come, for me, to be a symbol of greed and the "Cult of Consumerism" this culture is infected with.

So I puffed out my self righteous chest and turned the corner, only to hear the soft quiet voice of God invade a classic Clapton guitar riff. "Hope" God whispered. "What about hope?" There it was again, God's little pin bursting my little bubble.

Hope? Hope! God was speaking to ancient people through nature. The evergreen trees gave them hope that their horrible, hunger plagued winter would end. Hope that the waterfowl and wild plants that fed them all summer would indeed return. Why couldn't the God of Abraham be the same God ancient Europeans worshiped? They might not understand God the same way or relate to him the same, but God was no less real, no less relevant to them. Hope.

"So," I quipped, "what about the greedy "consumer cultist" roaming the malls and worshiping a tree surrounded by self indulgent presents while they ignore those in their communities who are suffering ? "

"You mean the world I've called my children to heal?" God shot back at me. "Tell them about the Hope. Tell them about the Christ child. Tell them that I love them. Tell them they cannot buy my love. Tell them they cannot buy each other's love. Stop pointing your finger and shaking your fist in my name and tell them what I want them to know, what you know. Tell them that I have many blessings stored up for them far more valuable than any present they have ever received. Tell them to put themselves in a place to receive my blessings. Show them where that place is. And, by the way, it's NOT where you are standing now with your self righteous chest all puffed out."