By Why Christmas Matters
It doesn’t matter if Jesus
Was born in April or December.
It doesn’t matter,
The merchandising that drives the masses.
It doesn’t matter that the only thing
The historical record can confirm
Is that he died on the cross.
I don’t think the changing of the cups at Starbucks,
Or the proliferation of decorations,
Or the jingles or the tunes,
Leaves no room for meaning.
Why would we follow the lead of the Prophets,
Disregard the world and its disguises,
And instead, look for the joy in each other’s faith
Imagine the possibilities for the human race?
Shining like a star in the desert of despair,
Leading the way past the burden of cares,
Past COVID-19, Past World War II,
Past the Great Depression and the Spanish Flu,
Past the Inquisition and the Bubonic Plague,
Past the tragedies and woes of every age,
A possible miracle that we imagine we see
Hidden far away in our history.
It doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Hindu,
A Mormon or a Muslim,
A Catholic or a Pagan,
If Jesus prefers us or you,
Our dogma, your dogma, or a dog,
There’s still a reason to care.
The Bible and the Quran
Tell the story of the birth of a man
Who performed miracles and taught us to live
Giving and forgiving.
The point is that you can
Love your enemies,
Smile when you’re sad,
And search for truth in the story of Gethsemane.
To pray for those who curse you,
To forgive everyone regardless of the cost,
Holds out hope for us
When we think hope is lost.
It matters that in the last
Account of Christmas,
A baby on the lap of the Virgin long past
Whispers: perhaps