Let me

shake you up a little and then settle you down a little

as my way to say something significant about Christmas.

Mary should

have had an abortion-if she followed our culture's

counsel. Not married. Living in a poverty district.

Probably 14 or 15 years old, if not younger. She even

might been admitted to one of our psychiatric hospitals

because of delusions she said were dreams.

It very

rarely snows in Bethlehem-just doesn't get cold

enough. Besides all that Bing Crosby snow stuff, Jesus

Christ may have been born on what we know as the 4th of

July. It was a new convert-Constantine - who set it

as December 25.

When Mary

delivered, she delivered just like you, Mom. Her water

broke. There was blood all around. She cried out in pain,

but did not have an epidural. Don't know where the carol

writer got the idea that baby Jesus didn't cry. I bet he

did.

The Wise

Men were not at the manger scene. They probably showed up

when Jesus was an emerging two year old. Would it shock

us if we discovered that Jesus, too, went through the

"terrible twos?" Besides that, there could have

been five Wise Men. We assume because of the three gifts

mentioned there were just three.

Yet, we do

know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Of a virgin. And

"of all the armies that have ever marched and all

the kings that have ever ruled, and all the navies that

have ever sailed," nothing has impacted the world

like that one birth.

The

calendars of Christians and non-Christians are dated by

his birth. We're ending the millennium because of his

birth. Department store cash registers are ringing joy

because of his birth. No matter whose home in which it

stands, it is still called a Christ-mas tree. His birth

closes the stores and the restaurants like no other

birth. And just guess where the folks-heathens and

Christians -want to be Christmas Eve? In church! The

church houses are filled that night more so than any

other time other than Easter-and that's all about

his second birth.

Folks may

seek not to offend by wishing "seasonal joy" or

send a card that offers "holiday greetings;"

and the TV news people may wish us a "happy

holiday." Yet, you and I know what's behind all of

it: Jesus Christ and his advent to this earth. So,

however "they" try to say it, what they are

really saying is Merry Christmas. And that's what I want

to say to you. Merry Christmas. And may all your

Christmases be bright!

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