A PERSONAL CHRISTMAS

[Geee]

Human Events:

It may sound like heresy to say, but here it goes: Sometimes life is about more than public policy. This week is one of those times. For many, Christmas is simply another holiday, and there is nothing wrong with that. But for me, I count these days as among the greatest of Human Events. It can be a touchy subject. And that’s fine. If the story of Christ’s birth is of little interest to you, well, have a sherry and click “next,” and I do hope you enjoy the holiday. But if I’ve got your attention, please read on.

 

William Cowper’s late 18th century hymn begins memorably with the line,“Sometimes a light surprises the Christian when he sings…” Yet that may be an understated representation of how that extraordinary evening began.

 

If Luke 2 were the opening act of a play, the scene would be powerful. It tells the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds to announce Jesus’s birth. The stage is dramatically silent and black. Then, an interruption—a break in the dialogue the likes of which no critic could comprehend, an opening scene that leaves audience and actors breathless.