A controversy about the new Starbucks holiday cup design, stirred up on social media last week, is ridiculous.

Self-described social media personality and Christian evangelist Joshua Feuerstein posted a video urging Christians to start “a movement” to protest the fact that there are no Christmas symbols on the seasonal design for the Starbucks paper cup a latte is delivered in.

He urges Christians to support his protest – and presumably proclaim their faith – by telling Starbucks baristas to write “Merry Christmas” on their cup where they would normally write the customer’s name.

In past years, the seasonal Starbucks cup has had images of snowmen, reindeer, Christmas trees and ornaments in the design. Customers are, I guess, reminded by the release of the cup design, it is the most wonderful time of the year: peppermint mocha and gingerbread lattes are on the Starbucks menus.

Apparently, Feuerstein and those who have signed on to his movement feel reindeer and snowmen portrayed on the cups in past years were a clear acknowledgment of the Virgin Birth of baby Jesus and their absence on the Starbucks cup spells a decline in American values.

CNN has quoted Starbucks Vice President Jeff Fields as saying the company “wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all our stories.”

In his video, Feuerstein says the plain red cup is an example of too much emphasis on political correctness.

I am hoping not too many Christians feel a plain red cup at the coffee shop is a bad sign of the times, an attack on their beliefs or, as Feuerstein says, “a war on Christmas.”

I am sorry to have to say we now have a presidential candidate who has joined the movement.

Last Monday, Donald Trump, speaking at a rally in Springfield, Ill., said, “Maybe we should boycott Starbucks,” and added while there is a Starbucks at his Trump Tower in Manhattan, “That’s the end of the lease.”

Seriously?

Shouldn’t we all, Christians and candidates included, be spending our time thinking about more important issues?

How does the red cup issue compare to others in the news today? Syrian refugees are stranded with no place to go. People are living in poverty. Families are mourning the loss of a child.

Let’s start a movement to do what we can as individuals to take action on these issues.

If you are holding a cup of Starbucks coffee in your hand, your life is blessed enough that you can afford a little bit of luxury in your day. It’s not a war on Christmas or an attack on traditional values. It’s a cup.

Be thankful you can afford it. If you have the time and money to stand in line at a coffee shop, you’ve got life pretty good compared to many people on this planet.

Why not spend some time expressing thankfulness for what you have, and then use your social media time to express gratitude to someone whom you appreciate instead of spending it griping about a paper cup?

Linda

Wojciechowski

associate editor

Catasauqua Press