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When Jesus was born, the pagan religions offered only despair, and evil spirits, and fear. Then came the Bethlehem babe with the Good News of forgiveness and freedom. God’s gift of strength and salvation for man’s weakness and sin.
When Jesus was born, slavery was universal and severe. The
whole world, except those enslaved, considered the use of chains a
right and profitable way to control a large part of the population. It has taken a long time, but slowly, surely the fetters have been falling away.
When Jesus was born, work was a degradation. He brought to honest toil the dignity it deserved.
Ever hear of William Larimer Mellon? When he was only 37 years old, he was a millionaire, leading the good life on a ranch in Arizona.
Then he read about Albert Schweitzer and he and his wife, Gwen, visited him in Africa. Enthralled by Dr.
Schweitzer’s 365-day-Christmas-spirit and the medical missionary work
he was doing, Larimer decided to go back to college to study medicine.
And having earned his medical degree at the age of 44, these two compassionate individuals went to Haiti to spend their lives and fortune helping its impoverished people.
So now I challenge you...in the spirit of these unselfish people… to think Christmas.
Indeed, to give this blessed time a Christmas face, because folk find in you love’s abiding place.
(rewrite of poem lines by Madeline Miller)
To have a double dose of manger thoughts this Christmas Eve let me share another story..…
The novelist Margaret Lee Runbeck tells the following - “I
was calling on Lillian and when I knocked at her door I knew what I
would hear – that dear, dark voice calling out from her window above, ‘Jes one minute… wait’ll I get on mah wrapper. Who is you down there anyway, honey?”
“I chuckled to myself,” Mrs. Runbeck writes. “Lillian didn’t know who it was at her door, but she was sure whoever it was, was honey.”
Ah, the Lillian’s of the world. All
year ‘round calling out with that special Christmas spirit, “I don’t
know who you are, but as far as I’m concerned, you’re honey.
You
may be acting like vinegar, raising Cain, causing war, making good
people lonely and bitter with all your strife, but God made you to be a
honey, so I’m going to call you honey whether you are acting like it or not.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of Africa summed up this kind of spirit so very well - what this grand and glorious promise of Christianity is all about. Remember, he personally experienced the abundant evils of apartheid and yet still was able to write,
“Goodness is stronger than evil;
love is stronger than hate;
light is stronger than darkness;
life is stronger than death,
victory is ours through Him who loves us.”
It is the manger message that will not ever go away.
Yes, we live in an era of great technological advances, but so much of this kind of happiness is written with fading ink. It
is why there are so many today looking for spiritual answers and why
there is such solace when we find the Savior and give ourselves to Him.
Because “Wherever we are, we find that God has just departed. Wherever we go, we find God has just arrived before us.” (editing of quote by Thomas Merton)
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OTHER BOOKS BY REV. WYRICK
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Poor Richard's Almanack for the 20th Century
Sixty Plus and Not Holding
Boundaries Unlimited
I Am
The ABC"s of Parenting and Grandparenting
Letters to America
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