Christmas is our most important holiday, and its literature is correspondingly rich. Yet until now no adequate bundle of Christmas treasures in poetry and prose has found its way onto the Internet for Winter, Christmas, the birth of Christ, Santa Claus, and so much more..Holiday Tales
Earth did not hear the voice of the Child as it sped away to Heaven. Earth slept. But every little babe of earth heard it in sleep, and smiled. For the voice of the Child, that was called Jesus by the Angel, was a voice creating a new Heaven and a new earth for the little ones of the world. And the little ones of earth knew His voice. This was their Brother that was born unto them. Because of Him the world was reborn, a world of love, a world remade for babes.
Long ago His mother, looking with fear into the future, had seen her King dashing His strength against that mighty Empire that was the strength of the world. Already His battle was won. He had chosen the little ones of earth and marked them for His own. Their strength was His, a power that the world could not withstand. Through all the night His Spirit went through the land, touching the souls of little children. And as they stirred they waked the soul of earth, for earth is ever very near to the new born one’S and listens to their very breathing. And earth heard the singing of its little ones who had seen their God.
Unto us a Child is born! …they sang.
Then earth listened in earnest, for this was the song of Life itself. And Life is the business of earth. Then the heart of the grey old earth, which had not sung since the day when man first sinned, was lifted to sing: and it sang:
Unto us a child is born!
Now the arms of mothers the world over felt a stirring where little ones lay wrapped from the cold. The joy of little ones, the song of the earth, was being sung into their hearts. And the hearts of the mothers of earth received the Child, singing:
Unto us a child is born!
In the morning, while yet shepherds watched, the Child awoke to the world. The night was gone. It was Christmas morn!
And the Spirit of Christ, which is the Spirit of Love, which is Christmas, went from heart to heart about the world, bringing the glad tidings of great joy that were spoken by the Angel. Never a heart in all the earth was left unvisited that morning. But every heart and every soul was filled with gladness, for that Christ was in the world.
This is Christmas-Christ-tide.
It is not a time. It is not a season, nor an event. It is the breaking of the burr that contact with life makes around the hearts of men. Perhaps that burr is needful. Without it life might hurt too much. But once in every year the burr must be broken, that the love of Christ may enter into the heart.
Otherwise the heart becomes all a burr.
So, this is Christmas when the Child comes into the world to set the hearts of little children, and the heart of the old grey earth, and the hearts of men and women to singing that song which the angels taught to the hills of Bethlehem:
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.
Sometimes He comes breaking into the heart on some stray recollection of the long ago. Again a chance dropped word gives Him entrance. Some hearts He can only enter when they are tired, tired to death, and when no other thing will come to them. To each according to his own way He comes. But to all, He comes, Love, Christ, Christmas…
Merry Christmas
