Hidden Figures of Christmas

   The routine of Christmas is so familiar to so many of us! Why is that? Because we do the same thing the same way every year.
   I am not saying there is nothing to that, because there is something in our human spirit that loves the familiar. And as we replicate what has been done in the past, several years in a row, we create traditions. And traditions (if they are good) can be remembered and enjoyed for generations.
   But repeating the same thing can also get stale! It is good to sprinkle some new ideas and thoughts into our traditions.
   Like, take for instance, the Christmas story. Many people have a tradition of reading Luke 2, on Christmas Eve, every year! What are they missing? The fullness of the story, and they full joy of Christmas!
   What do you know about the Hidden figures of Christmas? No, I am not talking about Mary, Joseph, Jesus, or even the Donkey. I am not thinking of the Shepherds or Magi (as a group). I am thinking of the other people of Christmas, There is the Innkeeper (and his wife), the Tax Collector of Nazareth, Zechariah (the father of John the Baptist) and his wife Elizabeth. What about Joseph’s boss, Mary’s family, the people that Joseph and Mary met on the way. I hate to mention Herod the Great or his official court, but he is part of the story also. There were, of course, the soldiers, the family the Magi left behind in Persia, the Priests to whom the shepherds sold sheep, and many others.
   I have written a simple book, Advent Journeys, that talks about many of these people, and puts them into easy context, at about 350 words per day during the month of December. An easy read!
   This is a simple addition to your normal Christmas. There are many books on the market containing current day (or 19th century) Christmas stories. These are heart-warming. As I browse through book stores, I do not see many books that will help the reader walk alongside the cast of Bible Characters in a contemporary way. Advent Journeys will help you join the Christmas Story, and will bring the Christmas Story closer to your heart. Please give it a try! …. And ask a few friends (or your Bible Study Group) to read it with you! It will bring a freshness to the season that will give you a Merry Christmas!