Children and Christmas

As a bachelor, it is easy to forget about children. They become those little people you see on television. There is very little opportunity in the every day to day world, for most single people to come in contact with children. One of the reasons I look forward to attending church on Sundays is to see the children. To see their curious faces, and to listen to their simple responses to questions during the childrens sermon.

Today at Campbell-Stone the normal service was taken over by the children. Yes the annual christmas pageant. It was the same format as last year. The theme "the road to bethlehem". All us adults followed in the footsteps of Joseph and Mary. Into the gym, where four scenes had been set up. All re-enacting the journey. We came across the three wise men. We were given some bread for our journey. We were turned away at the Inn. And finally we found the new born baby in the manger.

As a single man with no children, there is much of the Jesus story that I cannot fathom. Part of the story I will never fathom, until I have been saved by a child. In making my trek through the gymnasium with all the parents and grandparents, it was quite apparent why the birth of the baby Jesus resonates so dearly with these people. It is simply because they know the redeeming quality that a child provides. There is no doubt in my mind that many of the parents, especially the fathers, understood the story of Jesus only when they had their child. It made me think of the words of that man so long ago, "there is no way to the father, but through the son". That might not be an exact quote but the idea is there.

This raises even more questions knowing that Jesus was a single man. And this is where the original authors of the story must be given credit, over the man himself. He might have preached it, but had the story of his birth not been included, we would not have this profound lesson in any form that could be understood.

So thats the kind of service it was. It was nice to watch, and nice to have such complex ideas presented in such a simple way.

Some other theological ramblings on this subject would have to be the nine months between Easter and Christmas. We celebrate Jesus birth almost exactly nine months after we celebrate his death and Resurrection. I dont know where I am going with this, but there must be some ideas out there regarding it.

Dont really know if any of that made sense. But suffice it to say, Christmas hasnt been Christmas since I was a child. And I doubt it will ever be again, until the birth of a child. So to all those lucky parents out there, happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and god bless the children.

Nooman out