Commentary; Posted: 12/15/04
ëAll I Want for ChristmasÖí
Rev. John C. Blackford
Religion Columnist
The song, ìAll I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teethî expresses humorously the essence of the season, which is expectation.
Originally called Christís Mass,î before the fifth century A.D. there was no common adknowledgement of Dec. 25 as Christmas and no agreement on the date of Christís birth.
The winter solstice, Dec. 21, marked the expectation of longer days and more sunlight and was a special time for people of the pre-Christian era, especially the Romans and the Angles of Great Britain.
With the coming of Christianity they put their pagan ways behind them and celebrated Christmas instead of solstice rituals, transferring their expectation more to religious ideas.
Christ was probably born in the fall of 4 B.C. but calendar adjustments moved the date ahead.
The biblical accounts of Jesusí birth are found in two of the four gospels, St. Matthew and St. Luke. (St. Mark begins with the ministry of John the Baptist, and St. John with the pre-creation Christ).
St. Matthew tells of the visit of the wise men bearing gifts, coming from what now is Iraq. St. Luke writes of the adoration of simple shepherds from Bethlehem, the birthplace of the Savior. Both gospels refer to the expectation of the people, an expectation on many passages in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), and the great sense of need for Godís salvation.
As Christmas nears, expectations rise.
Decorations go up and excitement grows. With children, it is for the many gifts they will receive. Youth shift their expectations as they realize giving is an important part, too.
Parents balance family expectations against budget constraints. For some, Christmas can be a ìdownerî ósickness, family issues, finances, a broken relationship, grief in the loss of a loved oneóand expectations diminish.
Amid the feverish preparations and the clamor of commercialism, it can be renewing to spend a few minutes with your Bible reading the beautiful stories of Christís birth.
They may be found in chapters one and two in St. Matthew and chapter two of St. Luke and will bring back the true expectation of Christmas.
Further, most of us know someone for whom this season is difficult. We may be the best one to make their Christmas hope real, and the day memorable. A card, a phone call and a visit may be all that is needed.
The angelic message of the first ChristmasóìPeace on earth among those of good willî óis as relevant now as it was then.
The recent elections, the war in Iraq, and the many other tremendous world problems call for heralds of peace and good will to lift prayers and voices on behalf of the distressed and those who may not share our expectation in Christ.
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