By DR. LARRY MOSES

No one asked me but… Merry Christmas! Yes, Merry Christmas! You may have a Happy Chanukah if you wish, or a great Kwanza, whatever that is; however, I am having a Merry Christmas and wish you one too.

If you find the greeting, Merry Christmas, offensive read no further, as I explain why I plan to have a Merry Christmas. While it has a little to do with the family getting together and the great food and companionship of the day, it has everything to do with events of the past.

Our family will gather both on the night before Christmas and on Christmas day. There will be fewer of us as Glenn and his family have moved to Denver. Gregg and his family will be in California. But the rest of us will meet at our house the night before Christmas and at Scott’s house on Christmas day.

On Christmas Eve after a delightful meal, we will settle in the living room and read the traditional Christmas stories of Santa Mouse and T‘was the Night Before Christmas. Scott will read the poem “Jest ‘Fore Christmas” and I will read the nonsensical “Ambrose the Amber Tailed Antelope” and maybe even, “Santa’s Bad Day”. We will close the evening with a reading from The Holy Bible. This is the only story that matters and it explains why I will wish you a Merry Christmas. Over two thousand years ago, according to the Bible, in The Book of Luke, the following took place.

“…the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the town of Galilee named Nazareth, to a girl never having been married and a virgin, engaged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendent of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. …He came to her and said, Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you. …Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace…with God. …you will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord will give to Him the throne of His forefather David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages, and of His reign there will be no end…

In those days it occurred that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole Roman Empire should be registered. This was the first enrollment and it was made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all the people were going to be registered, each to his own city or town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the town of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his espoused wife, who was about to become a mother. And while they were there, the time came for her to deliver. And she gave birth to her Son, her first-born, and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And in the vicinity there were shepherds living in the field, watching over their flocks by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them, and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people. For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ, the Messiah, the Lord! And this will be a sign for you: you will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God on the highest and on earth peace among men.

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. So they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known what had been told them concerning this Child. And all who heard where astounded and marveled at what the shepherds told them.

But Mary was keeping within herself all these things, weighing and pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all things they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them”

There are those who have waged a campaign all the way to highest court in our land against all the emblems that would remind one of the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus.

Those who opposed the display of the Christmas tree or any other tapestry of Christmas would ask that we refer to the season as only a holiday. They feign offense to displays of the manger birth as well as the simple greeting of Merry Christmas. They will wish you a happy holiday.

However, I will wish you a Merry Christmas and if there was never again a Christmas tree, there will always be the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and that is all that really matters. Strip away the trees, the lights, the garland, and the sappy songs about snow, reindeer, and snowmen. Santa Claus can disappear. The simple story of the maiden chosen by God to introduce the world to his Son incarnate will always remain.

For that, I will continue to wish all I see and know a Merry Christmas. If you are offended, I am truly sorry, but so be it.

Thought of the week…There has been only one Christmas – the rest are anniversaries.

–W.J. Cameron