This post is brought to you by an incomplete Instagram post of mine, that I churned out in January.

I’d taken my photo and then as I was midway through the post, began a conversation with someone. Instead of waiting until later, I posted instantly. For once, I actually engaged in the ‘insta’ part of Instagram. However, this led to the creation of a post that didn’t quite make sense.

Let me use this blog post to clarify.

The image was of a stand of Hot Cross Buns at my local supermarket.

It was January. We’d just had Christmas. Yet here were the Hot Cross Buns already out, in January.

January, February, March and April. That’s how many months the supermarkets are going to sell Hot Cross Buns to us all (well, those of us that can eat gluten).

4 months.

Just prior to this, we’d had the shops full of Christmas decorations and general Yuletide paraphernalia. I don’t know about you, but these things usually hit stores in my area around September.

September, October, November and December. Another 4 months.

Now, I’m an English teacher. Maths is not my strong point, but here’s what I’m seeing:

A total of 8 months of the year when the supermarkets and department stores are putting Jesus related stock available on the shelves.

8 months out of 12 is two-thirds of the year. Two thirds of the year that people make money out of the name of Jesus.

Yet at the same time, I live in a society that, most days, refuses to let me speak about Jesus. Or, if they do let me, they don’t want to hear what I have to say.

Why is it OK to make money out of Christian celebrations for two-thirds of the year, when you don’t believe a word of it and tell the Christians to shut their mouths when they speak about what they believe?

What a double standard of hypocrisy. This is the society I live in.

I am actually deeply offended by this.

As much as I love Christmas – see my posts as proof – I think I’d prefer the money making to stop, if I have to stop talking about Jesus.

That’s what I wanted to say in my Instagram post.

Now I’ve said it here.

Yours editing her online posts,

Alison