Many Christmas stories end with some kind of a miracle: a piano explodes and food comes out or a person is suddenly able to exceed his skill level. Some are more outlandish than others, but it seems to be the trend for a paranormal experience to occur at Christmastime.
Then, just maybe, by its very nature the Season invites us into a magical and enchanting world. The Harry Potter stories have softened up the broader populace to that possibility and since Harry can fly, there is ever the likelihood that we can fly as well!
There is an aura around Christmas which the story invokes: a virgin conceives and bears a son; the heavens move from their specific orbit to create a starry wonder; an angel appears to shepherds to calm their fears; and a heavenly choir sings in unbelievable majesty to the astonished shepherds.
If it happened once, we reason, then why not believe that miracles can happen again? And they do! Often we are different on Christmas Day or a couple of days before. We are softer, more open, gentler, more giving and indeed reformed like Mr. Scrooge. Our characters are metamorphosed, at least for a brief period. “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” so the old saw goes, but Christmas has miraculous powers to do that. As you participate in all of its pageantry this year and absorb all of the music and praise, just maybe, a miracle will happen to you - one that can sustain you for a lifetime.
Jim
Posted by at December 5, 2005 07:48 AM