The Christmas "secret" must be put back into the Christmas "spirit."

Madison Avenue has a problem. In the last two decades, consumers have built up their immune systems to resist traditional advertising methods and slogans: Hence the ever more outrageous tactics to reach us. Ad execs are desperate to find that new gimmick or jingle that will reel us in.

Additionally, our attention spans have withered and shrunk like grapes into raisins. If something doesn't grab us immediately, we simply flex our index fingers and remote our way out and on to the next message. All public speakers are prisoners of our need for quick, in-your-face kinds of communication. Speeches and sermons are no longer composed to inform and inspire so much as they are sliced and diced into "sound bites" media-designed …