The Greatest Story Ever

While I was home this past weekend, my family and I chopped down our Christmas tree and decorated the house. I was busy stringing the lights around the tree, my attention completely consumed by the task at hand, as my little brother was behind me setting up the nativity scene. He was chattering all the while to no one in particular. I must confess, I was not paying too much attention, that is, until Mom came along and was not too happy about something. Apparently J. had put one of the wise men in the place usually occupied by Joseph. He tried to defend himself by asking Mom, "why do we always have to put everything in the same place every year?" I'm not sure if he really thought that would work with Mom, but if he did he was wrong. No one, however, answered his question. He and Mom both left the room, leaving me to continue stringing lights. As I worked on this task alone, I thought about J's question. It struck me that many people are asking the same question. Isn't that why the story gets told in many ways. People seem to think they can improve upon the story God wrote and they defend their "artistic license" with the same question. The reason we put up nativity scenes each year is to remind ourselves of the greatest story ever... of God becoming man so that man could be reconciled to God. It doesn't need pageantry or adornment - if anything, all that takes away from the truth, veiling it in the material. This is something that became very obvious to me last year in Iraq. We gathered in the chapel (an old, run-down building that was part of the base in Ramadi when it was run by Saddam's Army before we invaded). There was very little in there to remind one of the grand cathedrals or even the quaint, country churches. It was bare and rather dirty (as we all trekked mud in on our boots despite our best efforts not to)... yet I cannot think of a Christmas when the reason for celebrating was more real to me. We read through the scriptures and sang the hymns I've sung since I was very little, and as we ended with Silent Night, the lights were turned off and we all lit the candles we had been holding. I couldn't help but think that had to be so much closer to the real thing than anything I had ever done until then. In the desert, along the Euphrates, where the stars were bright overhead and the world was anything but peaceful, I felt like it must have a night like that when Christ came to earth. Regardless, my point is that we don't need to change the story in order to make it feel more real. If we are feeling a need for change, maybe it's time to tear down the veils we have constructed. When I really think about it, the story of that very first Christmas is enough to bring tears to my eyes. Along with the death and resurrection of our Savior, it will forever be the greatest story ever!

Thank God!

My co-worker emailed me Lincoln's first Thanksgiving Proclamation. I found it extremely interesting for a number of reasons. I did not realize that it was not an annual, national holiday until 1863. For some reason, when you are taught about the pilgrims and indians, it is just assumed that from then on, Americans (or colonists as the case may be) celebrated Thanksgiving every fourth Thursday in November. Apparently, that was not the case. Also, fascinating is the overt religious tones of the letter. As much as AHA and others would like to deny it, America was founded on biblical principles. Below is the proclamation in its entirety provided for your reading pleasure.

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

Word of the day: Tofurkey

This morning in the gym, I heard a newscaster use this word. She was apparently appalled by the video of Sarah Palin pardonning a turkey, while another one was being slaughtered right behind her (in full view of the camera).
I never understood the tradition of pardonning a turkey, but I do not see what the big deal is that the killing of a turkey wound up on a news station (and now all across the world on the internet!). It's not like it was a useless torture killing. The majority of Americans will be eating turkey next Thursday. We are not stupid people. We all know that those turkeys were once living, breathing creatures, and are now dinner.

As for the word tofurkey, it is real. I assumed she had made it up on the spot (guess I gave her too much credit). But I looked it up online and there are a number of websites selling tofurkey. If you are interested, there is even a Wikipedia entry. As interesting as tofurkey may be, I for one am looking forward to an authentic turkey dinner!

Thought of the day

A friend emailed this to me... it struck a chord with me, so I thought I would post it here.

God doesn't give you the people you want, He gives you the people you NEED. To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be.

It kinda got me thinking... and I think it is true. Sometimes the people we want are the people we need, but there are people in my life (yes, even now) that I wish were not here, but in the grand scheme of things, I suppose I should be thankful. Either I need them, or they need me... and in both cases, I am exactly where God wants me to be. As a wise friend once told me, "the safest place to be is the center of God's will."

Random fact of the day

Yams and Sweet Potatoes are NOT the same. They are actually from two different plant families. Yams are naturally sweeter that Sweet Potatoes, and are generally much larger.

So, now you know. =)

"Why believe in a god?"

No. the lower-case "g" is not a mistake. This is the newest ad staring back at commuters as they ride the metro in the DC area. Below the question the ad goes on "Just be good for goodness' sake" as if that solves all the problems. However, the American Humanist Association (the group behind these ads) needs to go back to remedial logic classes. Without God, there is no standard of right and wrong. There is no good and evil. Our entire system of justice has been historically based on a Judeo-Christian foundation (i.e. the laws of God as they are found in the Bible). Without that foundation, the entire superstructure of our society crumbles. We now need to go back and define what "good" is. I once heard a philosopher say "in one civilization, the people love their enemies, in another, they eat their enemies." Which is right? Who are we to say which way is good? Can we really judge the cannibals - I mean, that is what they were taught from childhood. They obviously think it is right. Ok, enough with that... I think you get my point.

Now here is the kicker! The author of this article describes the ad, saying it has "a picture of a fake Santa Claus" as though there is such thing as a real Santa Claus! (granted, there was a real St. Nicolas back in the day, but I do not think that is who is being implied in that statement). So, let me get this straight, we should not have to "give credit to something that doesn't exist" (i.e. God), but we should believe in Santa Claus?! I am just glad we have our priorities in order! One thing is sure, my faith in the American people is definitely waning.