One of the things our local newspapers do this time of year is post the various Christmas wishes of our community’s children. Their simple letters to Santa Claus tell a story as old as childhood itself. They ask for the latest gadgets and technology, but also the same old staples, like toy trucks, baby dolls, and board games. These letters offer us a glimpse into the minds of these small souls and help us understand their hopes for the Holiday Season. How we may long for the childhood experience of unwrapping the most desired Christmas gift. Perhaps we remember the days of circling items in the Macy’s or Sears, Roebuck Catalogues. Or the shaking of a package to hear the telltale sound of a LEGO or Erector Set. So many of us can look back on childhoods of blessed abundance and appreciate these letters and the wishes they contain.
But in a few of those letters, there are simpler requests that make one’s heart ponder the child’s situation. A few wish for things like new socks, a warm coat, or a Christmas meal. It brings to mind that for many in our community, this is a season of want rather than a season of plenty. We can become so carried away with our personal fulfillment that we miss the reality of need all around us. It is only a few feet from our front doors; it walks our streets; it sits in our pews; it attends our schools; it is the ever-present need for love and care.
On a night in Judea, a desperate woman and her husband looked for a simple place of refuge. Just some humble location where she could bring her child into the world. Many that night shut their doors upon this couple of questionable reputation; for some, they ignored them altogether. But one person was willing to open the door of their heart and provide a humble place, even if it were just a manger, for the child to be welcomed into the world.
