The Adventures of Christmas Esimerkki

December 5th

When a person gives birth, who do they typically tell first?

They broadcast it to their friends on social media. I knew a young woman who was on the phone with her company while she was in the midst of labor. Before the days of Facebook, you would usually tell friends and family and maybe a few random people in the waiting room.

When my oldest was born, I was beside myself. I spent 9 months thinking he was going to be a girl. We didn’t want to know the gender ahead of time. So when he came out with boy parts I jumped up and shouted very loudly in the delivery room, “It’s a boy!” Someone had bought me one of those dorky new dad t-shirts, but I didn’t have to wear it for people to know; I told everyone I ran into. But you better believe the first people I told were the family who had paced patiently in the waiting room for 26 hours.

But who does God choose to tell first? Shepherds. A scene that has been on millions of Christmas cards and performed by countless adorable kids during Christmas plays never should have happened. Think about it.

People Magazine allegedly spent 14 million dollars for the right to publish pictures of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s twins, Knox and Vivienne. I’m sure they are cute, a bundle of joy, even. But they are no Jesus.

This is the first announcement that the Son of God has been born. God could have sent the angels to anyone. He could have sent the birth announcement to Caesar, the famous, the religious, even Mary’s family back in Nazareth... but a group of unnamed shepherds? Shepherds were marginalized. While King David had been a shepherd, most kids didn’t dream of herding sheep. Why does God appear to them? It’s because Christmas isn’t just for the Magi, it’s for people who feel like they least deserve it.

Who is someone that could use a reminder that Christmas is for them? Consider picking out an ornament that reminds you of them, and then deliver it with a hand written note expressing why they are so special to you.