Giving gracefully

In the Ozarks, spiritual gifts are often Christian gifts.

Americans bought more than $4.3 billion of Christian merchandise in 2004, up from $4 billion in 2000, according to CBA, a Christian retailers trade association.

Nationwide and here in the Ozarks, there are plenty of understated religious gift choices to consider for a co-worker gift exchange.

Jeff Anderson, owner of Lemstone Christian Book Store at 2725 N. Kansas Expressway, said he carries a variety of gift items suitable for the workplace.

“We sell a lot more gifts this time of year than we do maybe even Bibles and books and things like that,” said Anderson, pointing to a number of business-card holders, picture frames, pen sets and paperweights.

“It’s a subtle way of letting people know your faith,” he said. “Those type of things are really nice for the office because they’re not just going to come out and knock you down. They’re something you can keep in your office that’s very professional.”

The same ethical rules apply to exchanging religious and secular gifts at work: Keep it in good taste, according to John Copeland, Springfield Business Journal ethics columnist and business professor at John Brown University in Arkansas.

“Companies get into trouble if they permit gift-giving at work, except for religious gifts,” Copeland said via e-mail. “That prohibition raises religious discrimination issues.”

Copeland said there isn’t a problem with two Christians swapping Christian gifts, but people should be wary of the hostility that might arise if gift-giving between Christians, nonbelievers or people of other faiths turns into proselytizing.

Larry Sloan owns the city’s lone Catholic book and gift store, De Sales, 210 W. Sunshine. He said Springfield lacks religious gift stores that cater to people of faith who aren’t protestant Christians. There are no Jewish or Muslim gift stores in town, but he said that his and other religious gift stores carry items that are vague enough in their doctrinal message, if they have one at all, that anyone can enjoy them.

“There’s going to be a few little things scattered around that would be generic enough for anyone,” said Sloan, citing items such as fruitcakes and instrumental music recordings.

Adam Dark, manager of Lifeway Christian Stores, 3362 S. Glenstone, said the season’s hottest Christian gift might not be an overtly Christian item at all.

“We have crosses and pictures of Jesus and whatnot, but … we’re (also) pushing the Chronicles of Narnia big-time. It’s just drenched in Christian metaphor and symbolism,” he said.

The Chronicles of Narnia are a collection of seven books that began with the publishing of “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” in 1950. Their author, C.S. Lewis, was a proclaimed Christian and gave a number of Christian-themed radio talks in England in the 1940s.

Lewis’ old books are finding new life in Christian stores because of the Dec. 9 Walt Disney Pictures theatrical release of “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.”

“There’s just tons of product coming out with Chronicles of Narnia,” said Christian Publishers Outlet owner Bruce Erdel.

Erdel has a Narnia display equipped with books, audio books and other accessories at front door of his 4145 S. National Ave. store.

Of course, Lifeway’s Dark said, all of the Christian retail items serve a unique purpose.

“All of our products do ultimately go back to, in some way, shape or form, conveying the Gospel,” he said, “but in varying degrees.”

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