2019

I want to tell you about a problem I have when it comes to the traditional reading of the biblical Christmas story. On the surface, it seems like such a small issue. But when you really think about it, it’s pretty significant. 

A department store put a Nativity scene in one of its display windows one Christmas. As a window-shopping couple walked by, the gentleman said to his wife, “Look there! The church is trying to take over Christmas now!”  

Now that the busyness of the season is in full swing, it’s difficult to believe, but we know that in two weeks-time we will be back to reality. The feelings of “peace on Earth, goodwill to men,” will be long forgotten as we navigate rush hour traffic. The Christmas Spirit will fade, replaced by a strong dose of reality – bills, health concerns, a steady stream of bad news in our neighborhoods and nation and around the world.

The shepherds were out in the fields tending to their flocks. These humble, lowly men had jobs that kept them away from their families – nomads who followed their flocks day and night. It was a poor, lonely life – a humble audience for the very first Christmas carol ever sung.

I still marvel at the simplicity of Christ’s birth. Think about this … the God of the universe decided to send His only Son to Earth, and He decided to do it in the most humble way possible.