Writing in the Corner

There are two Christmases. People who are all annoyed about the “Happy Holidays” forget that. Christmas’s origins are pagan; traditions co-opted by Catholicism to assert ownership over the feasts. There’s no indication that Jesus was born anywhere near December 25th, but it IS really close to the winter solstice.

So here’s a Christmas: Parties. A tree. Family nearby. Presents. Cookies. Music. Feasting.

Here’s another Christmas: God with us. A poor young woman and her husband far from home. A baby. Shepherds. Angels. A star. Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth, peace and goodwill to all.

I like them both.

I went to church on Sunday. I heard a quote given that I liked very much. Practical advice for keeping Christ in Christmas (and it doesn’t involve picketing Wal-Mart or writing letters to Target or listening to Bill O’Reilly. Thank the goddess.)

This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.

Christmas is a celebration, and there is no celebration that compares with the realization of its true meaning—with the sudden stirring of the heart that has extended itself unselfishly in the things that matter most.
- Howard W. Hunter, December 2002

I hope my readers have a Happy Holiday this year. And if the shoe fits, Merry Christmas.