"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. . . . . There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called." Ephesians 4:3, 6
Isn't it funny that no matter how old we get, Christmas influences our feelings! I know there are still some Scrooges around who "Bah humbug" Christmas, but in general we get warm fuzzy feelings as the holiday approaches. People smile more; they put their dollars in a red kettle for people they don't even know; they decorate trees with dolls for little girls whose eyes they'll not see sparkle when they get them; they buy turkeys for families around whose tables they will not sit.
The baby Jesus's birthday--not even Jesus, just his birthday--makes us gentler, more patient, even kinder. Paul's words remind us that Christians are part of a body and should function in a kind of unity, but Christmas tends to even change our attitude and actions toward those that are just part of the human race--not even part of the body of Christ, people whom we may be totally unaware of the rest of the year! A little Baby's birthday changes how we treat each other.
Father, humility and patience with others are such lovely characteristics. Heop us exhibit them all year, not just at Christmas when we think of Jesus. Amen.
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Very insightful. You should share thoughts like this with more than just your blog readers. In your spare time. :-)
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