Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
These lyrics, taken from a Scottish poem, are often sung at the stroke of midnight at the start of a new year. The phrase “for auld lang syne” can be translated as “for the sake of old times.” The beginning of a new year is a time of reflection on the past year. It is also an opportunity to start anew, set (or reset) goals and make resolutions.
In this week before Christmas the sights and sounds of the holiday season surround us. Bright lights, delicious aromas and beautiful music are everywhere. It is easy to see why some people refer to this as “the most wonderful time of the year.”
As Christians we know that the real reason for the season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Our churches display nativity scenes and many stage lavish dramatic presentations. We enjoy singing carols like “O, Holy Night” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” and picturing the images that they evoke.
The story of Jesus’ birth is told in the second chapter of the book of Luke. Verses 1-16 describe what happened to Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds. If you are like me, you’ve read the story many times and have a mental picture of what you think it was like. Allow me to suggest that our picture is based upon our perspective of the events (and probably pictures that we’ve seen on Christmas cards). However, that perspective is subjective since we tend to see events through our own eyes. I recently found a few interesting quotes about perspective:
“As far as the Moon is concerned, he is always full.” ~Terri Guillemets
“My play was a complete success. The audience was a failure.” ~Ashleigh Brilliant
“Every exit is an entrance somewhere else.” ~Tom Stoppard
So perspective is very subjective and is shaped by personal opinion and experience. I like to imagine what it would be like to sit down with Joseph, Mary or the shepherds and hear their perspective of that memorable night. Since I don’t really know what they would say, allow me to suggest some possibilities:
Joseph – He was probably still in shock. After all, it had been quite a whirlwind 9 months for him. He had gone from being engaged to a young lady to being a husband and father of a child that he did not sire. Even though he had accepted the responsibility, it couldn’t have been easy for him. How did he explain the situation to his family and his peers?
Mary – It is probable that she was still pretty traumatized too. She had gone from being a carefree young girl, planning her wedding to being pregnant, hastily married and trying to explain that she was still a virgin. Even though the angel Gabriel had come down and explained things to her, it still couldn’t have been easy. How did she explain it to Joseph, her parents and even her girlfriends? Imagine how the neighbors gossiped. Any way you slice it, it wasn’t an easy story to believe. And 9 months later she is riding on a donkey – in labor. Now I’ve never ridden on a donkey, but I have been in labor. That couldn’t have been comfortable. Then to add insult to injury she had to deliver the baby among a bunch of smelly animals.
Shepherds – Now these guys had spent many nights out in the field taking care of their sheep. Suddenly a bright shining angel appeared. Luke 2:9 says, “They were very afraid”. Ya think? Then just about the time they got used to listening to seeing the angel, an angelic choir appeared and started singing. It definitely was not a “silent night” for those guys.
Animals – Even the animals in the manger had to be pretty surprised. This was not an ordinary night for them. Although we picture them in a stable, in Jesus’ day, animal sheds were typically attached to houses. In Palestine a manger was not normally found in a separate stable; rather, it was “in the main living room of a peasant house, where animals are brought in at night” (R.T. France, The Evidence for Jesus, p. 159). Wherever they were, they must have been pretty surprised by the noises of childbirth and the cry of a newborn baby. It was not a “silent night” for them either.
So you see, it’s all about perspective. As the old adage says, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I suggest that it applies to memory as well. So when you read the Christmas story – or any Bible story, remember that there is always more than one perspective.
Merry Christmas!!!!!!!
My family and I really love traveling and we’ve had the opportunity to visit countries all over the world. One of our favorite vacation destinations is Italy. There is so much to enjoy; delicious food, warm hospitality, rich culture, history, amazing artwork, designer shopping and beautiful scenery. Although we enjoy the bustling energy of cities like Florence and Rome, we especially love the beautiful scenery of the countryside. Our favorite region is Tuscany, in central Italy. Tuscany is credited with being the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and was the home of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Puccini and many other artists and musicians. It is easy to see why the beauty of this region was so inspiring. One afternoon after finishing lunch at a villa in the region we spent some time just relaxing on the verandah, gazing out over the valley. It was a clear, sunny day and the lush vineyards seemed to go on forever. We sat for hours just soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the view. That’s when I gained a real appreciation for the Italian phrase, “il dolce far niente” (the sweetness of doing nothing). We live in a busy world of constant activity. We have 24-hour news cycles. We’re always “plugged in” with our smart phones, PDA’s, laptop computers, and other gadgets. We are constantly sending or receiving information. Social networking has given everyone a voice – even if they don’t really have anything to say. But this constant communication is part of our perpetual motion society.
Because of who you are I give you glory,
Because of who you are I give you praise,
Because of who you are I will lift my voice and say,
“Lord, I worship you because of who you are”
The lyrics to this popular worship song remind us that God deserves our worship. We count our blessings daily and praise Him for the wonderful things He does for us. But we worship Him just because of who He is. The Lord’s name stands in for His purpose, and reflects His character, qualities and attributes. In the Bible there are many Hebrew names that are related to specific circumstances of how God reveals His power and glory to His people. Read the rest of this entry »
This week our focus is on celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. Our minds turn to thoughts of sumptuous dinners and the choices we’ll have to make.
Light meat or dark meat?
Stuffing or dressing?
Jellied or whole berry cranberry sauce?
Pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie?
Some of us won’t even bother to choose, we’ll just eat it all! Yes, there are many choices to be made – for some people. Others are not so fortunate.
In 1969 Thomas A. Harris wrote the book, “I’m OK, You’re OK.” It was so popular that it made the New York Times Best Seller List and is considered one of the best selling self-help books ever published. It is a practical guide to transactional analysis and details how people deal with interpersonal communication. The book outlines four life positions that govern how we interact with other people. Read the rest of this entry »
The book of Matthew provides many examples of Jesus’ teachings. As a master communicator, Jesus used examples that would connect with His audience; parables that were relevant to their daily lives. This proved to be a very effective way to communicate kingdom principles. However, these parables aren’t quite as relevant to us in the 21st century. I believe that if Jesus walked the earth today, he would employ the same communication techniques. So instead of teaching about camels or grapevines or sheep, he would use examples of robotics or other types of technology.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 It is very comforting to know that we’re never alone. He is with us in every circumstance and nothing can separate us from His love. God is ALWAYS THERE. As human beings, we need the comfort of God’s divine presence. We also need the comfort of other people. Family, friends, neighbors and associates play an integral part in our life’s journey. They help us celebrate the good times and comfort us during tough times.
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on.”~Robert Frost
I was struck by this ironic thought recently when I was on Facebook . I read the usual collection of posts; some silly, some serious, others philosophical. One in particular caught my eye because it announced the death of a man that I had met 30 years ago when we attended the same church. I didn’t know him well, but knew that he had been ill. As I stopped to pray for his family and friends I was reminded of the irony of life: It goes on.
“Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” ~Charles R. Swindoll
“The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard.” ~Sloan Wilson
“You don’t really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around – and why his parents will always wave back.” ~ William D. Tammeus
