The Nativity of the Lord - Christmas
Last
week I came across
a
recently published book of Christmas stories
by Tomie dePaola.
by Tomie dePaola.
…but
these weren’t his usual stories for kids:
they
were recollections of 15
of his most memorable Christmases
of his most memorable Christmases
over
the course of almost 80 years.
The
one that really caught my attention was titled,
“The
First Television Christmas.”
It
was 1947, and the author’s father
won
a monthly sales competition at work.
The
prize? $1,000 or a television set.
Even
though his father earned about $4,000 a year,
he
chose the television
and it was delivered in early December—
and it was delivered in early December—
only
the second TV in all of Meriden, Connecticut.
(The
other one was in the showroom
of
an appliance store downtown.)
The
television had just a 12-inch picture tube;
most
of our computer screens are bigger than that these days.
The
picture was black-and-white.
And
the family got three channels on the weekends,
just
two during the week,
tuned
in by a tall metal tower on the roof.
(By
now, the young folks here probably think
I’m
talking about life on another planet—
so
far removed is this from what they know of TV today!)
“I
tell this story,” dePaola writes,
because
the new television played a romantic part
in
my life that Christmas Eve.
I
was in eighth grade
and
had an “older woman” for my girlfriend.
Her
name was Sheila Rosenthal and she was in the ninth grade.
I
had gone to Sheila’s house for a Hanukah party…
and
she was coming to our house for Christmas Eve.
After…Christmas
Eve supper…we went out to the TV Room.
We
sat on the sofa like two lovebirds,
holding
hands and stealing a few chaste kisses,
while
we gazed at the screen broadcasting
a
black-and-white image of a fire burning in a hearth.
The
blazing Yule log with a “Holiday Greetings” banner above it
and
Christmas songs playing in the background
filled
the screen from five in the afternoon until about ten at night.
Needless
to say, Sheila and I were thrilled
with
our first TV Christmas.
Never
mind that we could have moved into the living room,
where
the Christmas tree was lit
and
a real log blazed in full color in a real fireplace.
It
just didn’t dawn on us. (from Christmas Remembered, 2006)
That
story caught my attention for a couple of reasons.
For
one thing, I didn’t realize
that
the curious tradition of a televised Yule log
went
back quite so far!
(Of
course, today there are multiple apps for that
on
your Smartphone or iPad.)
But
it also got me to thinking
about
just how much of our modern celebration of Christmas
has
become—to put it quite bluntly—fake.
Many
of our Christmas trees have needles made of plastic
and
branches made of wire.
We
don’t light our candles with matches but with batteries.
We
spray on snow from a can
and
hang icicles of shiny aluminum
(although,
with the weather we’ve had lately,
I’m
not sure we want to see any more of either of those—
no
matter if they’re only imitation).
Even
our mouths are filled with artificial flavors
and
the air with artificial aromas.
I
guess I worry a little bit
with
so many other things gone synthetic
that
we’ll be tempted to think
that
Christmas itself isn’t quite genuine.
It’d
be easy enough to lump together
the
familiar, stirring account of Jesus’ birth
with
the colorful tales of Frosty and Rudolph—
feel-good
stories, with a comforting message,
perfect
for the kids…but not exactly bona fide.
And
that would be doubly tragic
since
the very purpose of Christmas—
it
could be easily argued—
is
to make things real.
The
story of Mary and Joseph, of angels and shepherds,
of
a newborn baby asleep in a borrowed manger,
are
all about the grace and the glory of our great God
appearing
on the earth
in
a way we can see and feel and hear and touch:
the
invisible God made visible;
the
eternal God stepping into time;
the
almighty God, who made all things,
We’re
all too familiar
with the reality of our own weaknesses.
with the reality of our own weaknesses.
We’re
well aware
of the wickedness at work in this world.
of the wickedness at work in this world.
But
sin and sorrow and suffering:
these are the illusions;
these are the illusions;
these
are the things which will pass away.
On
the contrary, the good news of a savior,
of
peace on earth and glory in the highest:
these
are the most real things of all.
There’s
a beautiful fireplace in the rectory.
And
I have no doubt
that we’ll spend a few moments
that we’ll spend a few moments
sitting
in front of it at some point this evening.
True
confession:
it’s no longer safe to have a fire in there…
it’s no longer safe to have a fire in there…
…so
it’s glow comes from
four battery-operated candles!
four battery-operated candles!
But
the true light which shines out in the darkness,
the
flame which forever burns
to warm us deep within,
to warm us deep within,
isn’t
found on a glowing electronic screen
nor
even in a pile of blazing logs;
it
issues forth
from the very heart of the Lord of hosts,
from the very heart of the Lord of hosts,
and
its coming to dwell among us
is
the very thing which calls us together
on this holy night.
on this holy night.
This
Christmas,
don’t be satisfied with any cheap imitations,
don’t be satisfied with any cheap imitations,
because
God’s love for you is oh-so-real!
Merry
Christmas!
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