A Jack-in-the-Box faith

The holiday season is fast approaching again. Magazines and television commercials cleverly advertise the best gifts for the season. I remember the old Sears and Roebuck catalog that would sit on our home’s coffee table. We took turns looking through it and wishing for the one item to bring us happiness.
As time passed, my children’s eyes would light up with wonder as they eagerly awaited the arrival of the new magazines that replaced the old catalog. The brightly colored pictures and dreams of the best gift under the tree kept them busy flipping the pages. Today, the page-turning generation has been replaced by Amazon and other online resources. The desired baseball bat and glove, or babydoll and cradle, have become obsolete in a world filled with ever-evolving electronic devices.
I am not sure when the old metal tops with the vibrantly painted designs disappeared from the wish list. I could sit for hours watching them spin at my command. Another old-time great was the Jack-in-the-Box – the little box with a handle on the side. With just a few turns of the handle, a music box tune of “Pop Goes the Weasel” opened the trap door, releasing a hidden clown. Children everywhere relentlessly released this “Jack” and repeatedly returned him to his box. It seems there are lessons in the smallest of things, like a simple stained-glass kaleidoscope.
As the world continues to grow toward unknown technological realms, the modest lifestyle of the past is fading. Technology is good, but we need more rainbows and kaleidoscopes. We need to regain our innocence. Front porch conversations and neighborhood baseball games are disappearing faster than a spinning top. Eye contact in conversations has been replaced by texting and Zoom meetings. I wonder, if we lose connection with each other, do we lose connection with the One who created us?
Our desire for God is fading into an overcomplicated world. With all the information at our fingertips, why must we call on the Lord? Our faith is becoming a God-in-the-Box, reaching for Him only when we need comfort or entertainment. We are quickly defining the existence of God in a neat little box like “Jack,” releasing Him when it suits our needs. Heaven is God’s throne; earth is His footstool. No box is large enough to contain our God, yet He chooses to exist within a humble man’s heart (Isaiah 66:1-2).
The Jack-in-the-Box was placed in the U.S. National Toy Hall of Fame in 2005. Where have we put our Lord? When was the last time we played the tune Amazing Grace? The transition from being lost to being found is our spiritual kaleidoscope. However, the shift in our position from being found to being lost again leaves us with an unexplainable emptiness inside a darkened box. Truthfully, the foolishness of God is wiser, and the weakness of God is stronger than a man could ever be (1 Corinthians 1:25). Without God, we are “Jack.”
In today’s society, Halloween and Christmas are blended with little room for Thanksgiving, as evident in our local stores. In this ever-changing world of technology, we must hold on to the simple joys and connections that bring us closer together and in faith. With Thanksgiving, we can embrace the present and look forward to the future while holding onto yesterday’s innocence. Instead of looking through old magazines for happiness, we can turn the pages of His Holy Word, learning of the Lord’s joy and prosperity.
If they hear and serve God, they will end their days in prosperity and their years in pleasure. Job 36:11

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.