WASHINGTON—As reports of worldwide shipping issues continued to mount, the White House warned Wednesday that supply chain shortages could lead Americans to discover the true meaning of Christmas. “Unless these unprecedented scarcities are reversed soon, hundreds of thousands of Americans could be forced to learn that there is more to life than material objects,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki, cautioning that delays in shipping of clothing, toys, and other common gifts had the potential to make this Christmas the most communal and brotherly of any on record. “While we’re working with shipping stakeholders around the world to fix the problems, we also need Americans to prepare themselves to learn the real reason for the season. Of course we understand that no one is happy about this situation, but millions of people will have to contend with the reality that their Christmas tree may be shrunken and their presents few, but there’s love abounding for all hearts that are true. Certainly, no one wants to find out that what’s really important is love and having people to share it with.” At press time, concerns about holiday-season shortages had increased after reports from around the country that thousands of Americans were already attempting to stockpile that magic Christmas feeling.