A Mystery of Christmas
A MYSTERY OF CHRISTMAS
As a small boy being raised on our farm at the foot of Gordon Mountain, Christmas was a very special time.
Each year, our family, in our valley, looked forward to it.
Finding the right Christmas tree in the woods behind our farm was the mission. I spent much time through the year in the forest area, building forts. I was always on the look out for that evergreen, that Dad, my brother and I would go and cut down for our small living room.
Starting in November at our public school, Echo Bay Public, we began practicing for the Christmas Program, which parents would attend. It was always about the Nativity story and each of us vied for what part we would play. It consisted of some Santa songs, however, our teacher always said, quite firmly that Christmas was about the birth of Jesus and we need to celebrate Him in our Program; and we did. It was a given.
At the beginning of each school day we always stood, sang God Save the Queen and then recited the Lord’s Prayer. In December, we also added a Christmas Carol.
At our little country Baptist Church, which was straight out of a Hallmark movie, we would prepare for the Sunday school Christmas concert and if you did not get the part you wanted in the school pageant, you had another chance to get it in the church program.
What we learned in school coincided with what we were taught in church.
The mystery for me, was Santa Claus. How did he fit in? How did he ever go to every house and climb down a chimney the night of December 24th. We did not have a chimney, rather a round stove pipe from the wood stove. I would ask my father and say, this is a mystery to me. Dad would smile with that twinkle in his eye and say, Bruce, the greater mystery is the birth of Jesus. Don’t worry about how Santa gets into our house. I would say, well… OK, as long as he gets here!
Oh how things have changed. Today, the world does not celebrate Christmas. Oh, there are lights, Bing Crosby’s I am dreaming, Christmas trees, Hallmark movies, etc. Yet, the government is not allowing us to focus on the nativity story in our schools or anywhere else for that matter. Recently, my son went to a neighbourhood social which was called “Winter Solstice”. He said, I am going to make it a point to wish people a Merry Christmas.
They light the 80 foot tree at the Rockefeller Plaza and all the mainliner music artists sing and comment. This year, Carly Pearce did sing Oh Holy Night, and they closed the 3 hour program with Joy to the World. That was it.
My friend and colleague, Dr. Darrell Johnson, recently shared about Seven Mysteries of Christmas. I said to him after, I am going to focus on these this year. One he writes about is the mystery of response.
Each revelation evokes a response from those in the story. All are inspired to act, like the Shepherds, the Magi, Joseph, Simeon and of course Mary.
So, what response does it stir in you at the Christmas Season, 2023?
Like the Shepherds, may we tell others we meet about what we have experienced
Like the Magi, may we give what we value to Him (ourselves) and journey a different way; we should never be the same again
Like Joseph, we accept this strange thing, even when we do not fully understand it
Like Simeon, we live in light of heaven and are ready to leave and go through that veil to a place, we cannot even imagine
Like Mary, may we say, let it be done to me, what you wish.
In one of my past Christmas stories, where I share about Percy, I believe that my father, with me following as a young boy (in his own quiet way, like the shepherds), told this grizzled old hermit about what he had experienced in his own faith journey. Through tears, Percy said to him “Don, you are a Bearer of Hope.” I believe, as I write this, Percy is with my father in that place we call heaven.
May our responses bring peace, joy and hope to all we meet.
Have a blessed Christmas,
Bruce
