"Once a year the Christmas season strikes both the
sacred and secular spheres of life with sledgehammer force:
suddenly Jesus Christ is everywhere.
For approximately one month His presence is inescapable.
You may accept Him or reject Him, affirm Him or deny Him,
but you cannot ignore Him.
Of course He is proclaimed in speech, song, and symbol in all
the Christian churches. But He rides every red-nosed reindeer,
lurks behind every Cabbage Patch doll, resonates in the most
desacralized "season's greetings." Remotely or proximately,
He is toasted in every cup of Christmas cheer.
Each sprig of holly is a hint of His Holiness, each cluster of
mistletoe a sign He is here.
For those who claim His name, Christmas heralds this
luminous truth: The God of Jesus Christ is our absolute future.
Such is the deeply hopeful character of this sacred season.
By God's free doing in Bethlehem, nothing can separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Light, life, and love are on our side.
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,
and they will call Him Immanuel - which means, "God with us."
Matthew 1:23
from: Manning, Brennan. (1997). Reflections For Ragamuffins.
Harper Collins Pub. New York, New York. December 1 Reading