Norwich bulletin., 1920-12-25
THE MAN WHO TALKS

hem of JuGea is entitled to recognition for precisely the same reason that Strat- ford-on-Ayon is or the birthplace of any other person who has loomed up big in the life of humanity. Of course many ,have denied that he was the Messiah predicted in The Old Testament, and have disputed many other claims that he made for himself and which others have made for him, and still that such man as Jesus was born and lived a most wonderful life can no more be denied than the birth of Caesar, Napoleon or Washington. Christmas. then is not the Celebration of some legendary hero as in Greek mythology who existed only in the fervid imagination of people. It has all the proofs of historical accuracy.
 Christmas. from the Imaginative StandPoint-Whilea Christmas carries with it the marks of historical accuracy, yet romance has grown up around it some of which is grotesque, and some extremely beautiful That in itself is evidence of it's reality and undying worth. Myths never grow up around sec ondary persons or secondary things Among the beautiful romances that have grown up around the Christ-child is the legend of Santa Claus-a corruption of St Nicholas-regarded as the special ' Claus was first used by the Dutch set i tiers of New York, who kept d Santa. | Claus holiday. His feast held on Dec. | 6, was formerly celebrated in England, and still is in Germany Now the visits of Santa Claus bearing gifts to the chil- | dren is transferred to Christmas. He is good-natured frolicsome, generous fel- | low who is excessively fond of children, and hence the very incarnation of the Christmas spirit. Let the jolly old fel- 1 low reign supreme with the little folks. He may be myth, but he is immortal!
 Christmas from the Gift Standpoint l Christmas is the very embodiment of the giving spirit, and one can easily trace the logic of this spirit back to the su- preme event at Bethlehem. Here Christ i came into the world as a gift; the gift of God to man. It was likewise a gift in the highest conceivable form, that of a human child. What other gift can touch the home with such holy radiance or spiritual charm as the little, helpless human babe, whose first breath is a cry for help? By his side all gifts of silver l gold and precious gems fade away into | utter insignifcance. Decenber Twenty Fifth, by divine ordering the daN of the childs entnronement. God Himself knew that there was nothing even in His pow | CT whereby He could bless mankind SC well as to send a child into the world i His own Son, who should live to be the greatest blessing the world ever Teceiv- l ed. All authorities agree that the greatness of a nation is not found in it's natural resources, nor in it's acre age, noc in it's industry-but in it's men The gift of the child is still supreme
 Christmas from the Festival Stand. d.
 main of art in all it's branches, espec- ially song would tax anyone's ability tc state. AscriptIons to this little Babe who was born in stable. because there was no room for a peasant in the inn have filled all the world with melody | What are more beautiful and touching than the Christmas carols that are SUP l at this season throughout Christendon by young and old alike, wherever the Christmas festival is celebra- ed, wheth. CT in the Gothic cathedral or in some cheap, wooden chapel in a backwoods set clement? Where is there a church, ol body of believers, so small, poor. or be | nighted that does not have some enter 1 tainment in which voices blend in singins 1 Glory to God in the Highest, and or
 earth, peace, good will to men?'' Wh!
 should this festival spirit so grip tn, fhearts of men and women in all ages ant
 all lands, if the keynote was not that 0 l, spiritual reality to which poor, faulty hu man nature responds? To the end of tim
 hearts and voices will sing: Calm ol
 the listening ear of nightl'
 Christmas, from the ChiId's standpoin
 The. one to whom Christmas come
 with the Eeenest relish and the pures
 delight is the child. He is entirely ire from the fret and worry that other
 must experience more or less severely The child knows that it is the season i
 which gifts are made. There are rela
 tiVes on both sides of the house wh
 will doubtless remember him. The mat | ter of expense doesn't diminish his io | and it is well that it shouldn't, fo 3 childhood is the age to be earefree 7 ever. The time and strength demande 7 in selecting an apI1roprate gift trouble
 him still less. It is simply an occasio l of pure delight for him. He lives fG tweells on the strength that Santa Clau is coming. Is there not a danger her
 of/making the child selfish or givin
 the impression that Christmas onl
 means to receive? Why not teac - him that it is his duty to gi4
 as well as receive? Show him how man
 poor children there are who would l
 made glad by what he can give. " : must not fail to impress on him. this sic S or ChrlStmaS,
 Chriltmas frOrl the Parents Stan
 pOint-The parent looks upon Christina e as an opportunity ts fulfil the supren : wish of the child. Not for anythir
 would he, and more particularly sh
 have the little pne disappointed t Christmas morn When they see u e gleam of joy in the little face, it pa,
 for all the anxious thought and hal
 labor when the child was peaceful sleeping. l an not sure but that Il 4' parent takes as much interest as u } child in hanging up the stocking, or de
 orating the Christmas tree, or gatheril
 the hemlock boughs and in making t h house as accessible to Santa Claus h possible. They surely are as interest
 in the coming of the reindeer as t
 child himself Do not parents knc -s that the Christmas spirit touches t = home with power that they never forge
 When the child reaches the adult sta
 and, perchancet is a thousand mil
 from home, what means more to him le to them than the neatIy-tied .packa 1t with the home stamp on it? Take t
 Christmas spirit out of the paren
 heart and what is left is nothing b ts cold dead ashes
 IS Christmas from the Good Will Stan l. pOint-"And on earth peace good will |
 ward men, Christmas was the intr
 duction of a peace note into a, wo1 III that hitherto had hea<d only~.the elari . shout of war. When the Christ Chi a came, there was universal pea 70 throughout the earth, not from choit
 but because 3the nations were -exfaustt
 and no strength remained for fightiI C. Peace will never come to the nations u le til good will is first cultivated in t ,a ! individual Nearly vea
 have elapsed since this little Babe cri
 in Bethlehem, and still the nations fig d @S ,,s1 tnousn 6oou " III pdd never con