I’m sure many readers will know the Bing Crosby song, “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”, so you’ll immediately realise the play on words that I have used for the title of this month’s article – and many of you will now be humming the tune in your heads for the rest of the day!
Getting a more accurate picture of the Christmas story helps us to get away from the ‘Once upon a time, in a far-away land’ approach that so often takes place in our schools, homes and even our churches.
It enables us to appreciate the real circumstances into which Jesus was born.
Jesus’ birth can, indeed, seem a very nice story, at a superficial level.
This is especially true when we hear it on a warm, candlelit evening, singing carols with family and friends, watching children in the Nativity play.
We so often enjoy listening to the familiar story as we sit in the prettily decorated church or school hall, thinking of presents and food, some of us even dreaming of a white Christmas!
But what about dreaming of a RIGHT Christmas?
Jesus was born at a time when Bethlehem was under Roman occupation. It was a time of political unrest.
It was a time when the lives of ordinary people were under threat – and a time of much poverty.
A careful reading of the scriptures tells us that the circumstances of Jesus’ birth were, at the very least, very basic and crude – a stable (or cave), a manager, no mid-wife, poor sanitation, very unhygienic - not the best of places for the Son of God to be born!
And even today we have people throughout the world who need the help, practically as well as financially, of others as they struggle in countries torn apart by famine, war and natural disasters.
There are those in our own country who have been (and continue to be) adversely affected by the recent inclement weather conditions. They will also need help and support as they re-build their lives and do all they can to return to ‘normal’.
The birth of Jesus IS a time for celebration – I have, once again, enjoyed watching my wife, children and grandchildren getting excited about their presents as well as joining with others to sing carols, attend services, share meals and generally have a good time.
But we need to remember that the event which we have just celebrated is one which, if we simply restrict our images to cards and Nativity plays, loses the true essence of the occasion.
I hope that this year we have gone some way in getting the story right.
With very best wishes for a prosperous and peaceful 2014.