As Black Friday kicks off the Christmas shopping season, remember that we Dunker Punks are a peculiar people. We’ve set ourselves apart to live lives committed to following Jesus. We are in the world, doing good works, creating justice, building peace, but we are not of the world. Here’s some thoughts to consider from Brethren economist Bill Wood:

One of the big-box retailers invites us to “Go Big!” this Christmas. That retailer wants us to buy big-screen TVs, which will bring in programming and ads to keep us going big and coming back to the store in the new year.

But after seeing the ad, I started thinking. What if we Dunker Punks (and stealth Dunker Punks) decided to “Go Big!” this Christmas in a different way? This would include things such as:

• Going big in our food drives, sending off carloads of food to the food banks and food pantries
• Going big in our Bible study, seeking out the Old Testament prophecies and New Testament gospel accounts to deepen our understanding of Christ’s first advent
• Going big in our humility, not proclaiming our good works but taking quiet joy in the honor that it is to help and pray for our fellow men and women, inside the church family and out

Yes, at times it would mean visiting stores that tell us to Go Big! – but with a glad heart rather than an aggressive desire to beat somebody else to that great special on Black Friday. And it would mean special smiles and kind words for everyone we met along the way, from the Salvation Army volunteer by the red kettle to the harried checkout clerk facing a long line of customers.

How about it, Dunker Punks – are you up to Go Big! this Christmas?