It’s about 2am on Tuesday morning as I write this. I am sitting here in the stillness of the early morning trying writing this article by the glow of Christmas lights. Normally, drinking coffee at night (or any other time) doesn’t keep me awake. But for some reason the coffee I had three hours ago seems to be doing that—or maybe it’s the realization that Christmas is just a little over 2 weeks away and I am not ready! So maybe I shouldn’t drink my favorite beverage—Starbuck’s Christmas Blend coffee—late at night. But it will be hard because I love coffee! Many of you do as well. And Christmas Blend is so good!
Speaking of coffee I love reading about the history of it. I mean who in the world would ever think of taking this little bean and roasting it, grinding it, and pouring hot water over it. But the history of coffee and coffee consumption is fascinating if not a little puzzling. In 1511, an Arabic poem titled In Praise of Coffee was written. It reads:
“This is the beverage of the friends of God.”
I couldn’t agree more, but I was interested to learn that this elixir loved by so many has had a stormy history among Christian folk.
According to a fascinating book, The Greatest Stories Never Told, published by the folks from The History Channel, the coffee craze first gripped the world about six hundred years ago in the Middle East. Some of the earliest coffee fanatics were Muslim mystics, trying to stay awake for nighttime worship. So important was this drink that, in Turkey during the 1500s, a woman could divorce a man who did not provide her with enough coffee! I’m sure my wife would agree if I ever failed to make her morning coffee in a to go cup. I’m not taking any chances!
When coffee hit Europe in the late 1500s, priests at the Vatican argued that it was a satanic concoction of Islamic infidels. Accordingly, they thought it should be banned. That’s when Pope Clement VIII stepped in. After giving coffee a taste, he gave his blessing to the bean. “This Satan’s drink is so delicious,” he supposedly said, “it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall fool Satan by baptizing it.” With his blessing, coffee soon began to conquer Europe, and become the morning necessity it remains for many people today.
I love that—“We shall fool Satan by baptizing it.” I don’t agree too often with the Medieval Catholic Church, but old Pope Clement had this one right. Too often Christians get all worked up over things which, though not explicitly Christian, can be used for the greater glory of God and point to His gifts. I think of the many, non-salvation issues Christians have fussed and fumed about: Harry Potter, Contemporary Christian music, praise choruses, different instruments in church, Halloween, Bible versions, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and, yes, even Christmas.
We all know that the presents, lights, decorations, much of the music, etc. are not part of the real meaning of Christmas. But let’s baptize them for the glory of God and enjoy them as we celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. Christians should be the most joyous of all people at this time of the year. Yet how many sermons have we all had to endure in which some grim faced preacher lamented the external, cultural trappings of the season as if we didn’t all know that already. We should be discerning of our culture, but I suspect that Satan does a lot more of his work among the things, beliefs, and attitudes that would never occur to us. As for Christmas? Let’s baptize every cookie, carol, light, plastic Frosty, present, and Christmas tree for God’s glory! I do hope that your Christmas plans do include our Christmas Eve Candle light worship and communion service. This is always a special time filled with warmth, light, love, music, and worship. If you have never participated, you would do well to begin a new tradition.
Chris Higgins 