Enjoy the simple beauty of Christmas

When the nights are long and the days bitterly cold, it is heartwarming to have something to celebrate. If it were not for Hanukkah, solstice, Christmas and New Year's celebrations we might all settle down for a long winter's nap like the parents in " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Despite the dark, dreary weather, people are in surprisingly good humor in December. Everywhere, we see people wearing jingle bells and funny Santa hats, and humming Christmas carols. People also appear to be kinder during the holidays. We donate socks, blankets and coats to the homeless. And, joyfully give money to the Salvation Army kettle ringers.

For Christians, Christmas means more than eggnog and sitting on Santa's lap. We celebrate Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. We believe that God so loved humankind that God came to Earth as a child. As the infant grew into a man, he provided a visible example of living justly and of how to love one's neighbors.

I am not much into the gift-giving-and-receiving part of Christmas. After all, it is Jesus' birthday and not ours, unless you were actually born on Dec. 25. My favorite parts of the Christmas story are the shepherds and the manger. Luke's gospel tells us that while shepherds were in the fields tending their flocks, an angel appeared to them and shared the sacred secret of Jesus' birth.

One would expect that an act of such great magnitude would be shared with the social or political elite. Meager, smelly shepherds seem an unlikely group with which to share important news. Surely God would have considered the religious leaders more worthy. But what seems logical to our human minds is not what is important to God.

I am wont to believe that the simple treasures of life and love are still revealed to the humble and to those often overlooked in our culture. Religious leaders, with all our credentials, clerical garb and titles, must pay attention to the divine wisdom that emanates from everyday folks.

And what are we to learn from the manger scene? The Son of God was born in a barn and placed in a feeding trough. I know the bible reads "stable" and "manger," but using everyday words of barn and trough makes the story more real to our 21st-century minds.

We expect royalty to be born under the best of circumstances — in palaces, amid multiple attendants and with great fanfare. In this story, the only fanfare was the snorting and breathing of animals. There was no designer children's wear in the barn, just simple rags in which to wrap the infant.

We serve a God who is neither bound by tradition nor impressed by protocol. The one who would change the course of history was born in a barn and slept in a feeding container filled with hay. The story is simple and compelling. The message of Christmas is just as simple. Where God is, love abounds.

At Christmastime, we can get overwhelmed with all there is to do. The older I get, the more it feels as if Christmas rolls around every six months. I promise myself every year that I am going to be better prepared the next year. Well, once again, next year has sneaked up on me, and I am still not ready.

When I feel Christmas is coming too quickly, and I have more shopping to do, a menu to plan, and parties to attend, I must remind myself that Christmas is about the simple act of loving and giving of oneself. Acts of kindness emanate from the divine spark within us. So during the holiday season, let us remember to keep it simple and to give lovingly.

The Rev. Patricia L. Hunter is an associate in ministry at Mount Zion Baptist Church and an employee-benefits specialist for American Baptist Churches

in the USA. Readers may

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