eyewitness accounts
angels, shepherds, a stable?
read it for yourself

Let me get past the big question first.

I accept the Bible as fact.

Maybe not without errors but I am confident that any errors are errors in transcription or translation.

With that out of the way, look at the Christmas story in the book of Luke.

Luke starts out his book with “I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account…”

Tradition has it the Luke was a Doctor.

Probably a Ph.d and not an MD.

But I think that at this point, he is a doctoral candidate or just a grad student.

Luke has this ‘account of things’ and he is going to investigate and talk to people who were there so that his readers ‘may know the certainty of the things.’

I feel that in this short thesis statement, Luke is say that he wants to get to the bottom of this ‘Messiah’ story and like a good investigative reporter, down deep, he wants to blow the lid off the story and expose it as a fraud.

Okay, remember this is just me talking.

I think that Luke went and conducted oral history interviews with who ever he could find who might have information on this ‘Messiah’ thing.

I wanted to be a history teacher.

I studied the art of the Oral History Interview.

I studied the practice of weaving the information from an interview into my narrative.

Often you can study another’s narrative and make a very good guess at who supplied the information in the narrative.

Let’s examine the book of Luke.

Luke describes the meeting between Mary and the angel, Mary and Elizabeth, Mary’s song, the trip to Bethlehem, the birth in the manger, the trip to the temple and other events in the life of Jesus.

Who did Luke talk to?

Who is the common thread in all this, besides Jesus?

Mary.

In my mind, Luke tracked down Mary.

History is of the opinion that Luke wrote his book some 60 years or so after the birth of Jesus.

History is also of the opinion that Mary was about 14 or so when Jesus was born.

In her 70’s Mary would have, might have been living in the home the Apostle John in Ephesus.

I think Luke tracked her down.

I think Luke tracked her down and went to interview her with every intention of disproving her story.

Then he met her.

Then Luke met Mary.

Like all those scenes of realization in movies.

Luke met Mary and realized something.

Luke realized.

Luke knew.

The stories were all true.

The stable, the song of glorification, the words of Simeon.

The stories.

The story.

The story as told to Luke, by Mary.

Luke writes, “But his mother treasured all these things in her heart .”

When you read the book of Luke, it is not the words of Luke you are reading, but the words of, the memories of Mary.

A first person account.

An eyewitness account.

You can read for yourself.

Struggle to fit in
Confirm, Conform and Confess
Ultimate puzzle

Jesus Chris is Lord.

All the other pieces fit into place.

Are there no Prisons?
Workhouses? Treadmill? Poor Laws?
Who lines up with Scrooge?

Is the story of Dicken’s Christmas Carol as well known as I presume it is?

I, myself, cannot remember when I didn’t recognize the name Ebenezer Scrooge and all that it the name involved.

The story has been in print (and never out of print) since 1843.

The story popularized the saying, “Merry Christmas!”

It has been made into over 20 movies, TV presentations and specials.

Know the story and the scene where Scrooge is called on by two guys raising money for the poor has to stand out.

Mr. Scrooge berates the two guys and lists all the ways he is already forced to help the poor.

Scrooge answers their questions about a donation with:

“I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. “Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned—they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there.”

“Many can’t go there; and many would rather die.”

“If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides—excuse me—I don’t know that.”

“But you might know it,” observed the gentleman.

“It’s not my business,” Scrooge returned. “It’s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people’s. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!”

Who can read this or watch this scene and say to themselves, ‘ATTA BOY, EBENEZER!’, ‘THATS TELLING THEM, EBENEZER!’, ‘MAKING IT GREAT AGAIN MR SCROOGE!’

Who wants to line up with Scrooge?

Who chooses to line up with Scrooge?

So I am dismayed.

Reading and watching the comments, statements and opinions of people who I respect, people who I love, that to me, are lining up with Scrooge.

Look to the heart of the matter.

Look to your heart.

The last line that Dickens’ writes in this scene states, ” Seeing clearly that it would be useless to pursue their point, the gentlemen withdrew. Scrooge resumed his labours with an improved opinion of himself, and in a more facetious temper than was usual with him.”

The Christmas Carol then tells the story of how a friend of Scrooge arranges a journey of realization so that Scrooge can avoid the fate that awaits him

What fate?

Curiously enough the only other book in the English language that has never gone out of print is the Bible.

In the book of Matthew, Chapter 25, is this warning.

Jesus (get that, JESUS) said, “

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25: 41-46 NIV)

Like I said, who wants to line up with Scrooge?

memory takes me
from all my yesterdays to
all my tomorrows

So writes EB White in his essay, The Years of Wonder.

All the senses are gobsmacked by memory.

Sites.

Sounds.

Smells.

Touch and feel.

Tastes.

And the famous one way passage of time.

Small wonder that Christmas time can be an emotional baseball bat that wallops me upside the head and leaves me dazed and shaking.

For me, much of the Christmas experience is the look back from today.

The memories.

I can look at the books on my shelf and pick out one, no two, no three, too many to count, that were gifts and I remember when and where I got them and who gave them to me. My Mom and Dad. My Grandma and Grandpa Hendrickson are as much a part of this Christmas as the ones when I got those books as gifts years ago.

For me, much of the Christmas experience is the new memories I know that are as of yet unopened like the wrapped boxes under the tree. My grandchildren together and my children together.

What will I be remembering from this year?

For me, much of the Christmas experience is the look ahead that is possible through the salvation made possible by the Christ in Christmas.

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach says Ebenezer Scrooge.

And, Mr. Dickens writes of Scrooge, “and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!“

this side of crazy
thinking wistful, wishful thoughts
treasure where heart is

This side of crazy, if I start down the path of the meaning of Christmas, gifts, shopping excess, crowds and avoiding crowds, its a quick trip to maudlin, depression and even despair.

Wistful thoughts.

Regrets.

Regretful longing says the Google.

Wishful thoughts,

All that I wish for.

Hope for.

Regretfully longing for all that I wish for.

I want it.

Hope for it.

And regret it at the same time.

‘Tis the season, I guess.

Good grief.

This is a quick trip to wrong side of crazy.

Am I over analyzing the situation?

DUH!!!

According to the St. Matthew the Apostle, ” For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matt 6:21 KJV)

I have lost my heart I know.

Lost it a long time ago to a girl named Leslie.

Lost it again as both one by one and in bunches as we added kids to our family.

Found it in time to lose it all over again to a bunch of grand kids as they were added to our family.

No regrets.

Not wistful.

Maybe still a little wishful.

Lost my heart.

Gained whole piles of treasures.