The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1961-12-22
Tears at Christmas
Lesson for December "a, 1861

we expect 1t to be. We have
been to church. we have receiv-
ed presents and given them, we
have toured the stores, all deco
rated for the season. and we
have seen who knows how many
lighted trees and Christmas
stars. Maybe we went home for
Christmas. or if we are older,
the younger members Of the
family came to see us. Surely
there is little left out of what it
would take to make a happy
Christmas. And yet the passing
Of the Day does leave heart
aches amidst all the happiness.
This is nothing new; it has been
so since the first Christmas.
Disappointing nts
Put yourself in the place of
some of the persons who figure
in the Christmas stories in Mat
thew and Luke. Joseph, we
know, was carpenter, no rich
man. but not on the bottom of
the heap either. We can imagine
that he must have wanted, for
Mary'S first born, the best of
everything. But now the little
baby has to be born in a stable,
surrounded really by the worst
Of everything. What may have
CALLED Joseph, and Mary too,
was the thought that if it had
not been for the wicked Ro-
mans. this long winter journey
to Bethlehem would not have
been necessary. The child was
robbed of all that Mary and Jo-
seph had planned for him-and
yet he was by legal descent heir
to the throne of David. The Ro-
mans had long since abolished
that throne. Heirs to vanished
thrones got no favored treat
ment from the Romans.
Mary must have been sorely
disappointed no less. That her
Son was born to be a king, she
had no doubt; but a kings first
appearance should surely be
more dignified, if not more
splendid. Everything the baby's
eyes fell on - the manager, the
cattle. the crowds - suggested
poverty, struggle, the lot Of the
dispoSsessed. We know that
when Mary went up for the
publication ceremony a few
weeks later, her offering was
one which was allowed only in
the case of people who were ex-
tremely poor.
Our Own Disappointment
If some recording angel went
about the country on December
26, asking the same question of
every Christian: Did you have a
perfect Christmas? he might
seldom get the answer Yes. Yes,
it would have been perfect if
she had been here. Yes it would
have been perfect if / could only
forget the terrible state the
world is in.
There is joy in Christmas, and
it ought not to be a season of
tears. But beneath the carols
there are the hearts heavy with
Illustration. disappointment, be-
reavement. and the sadness of
those who realize that after all
these centuries peace is harder
to find than ever. men of good
will too few. Christmas may re-
mind us that in this life we can
not put off joy until all causes
OF sorrow and regret have been
abolished. Jesus our Lord was
born where and as He was, be-
cause Of the military power Of
a pagan people. The first Christ
mas had its shadows. and thew
were deep.
JOY and Tears
The Christians joy is not built
on a make-believe. There are
people who can persuade them
selves that there is nothing
wrong with the world, nothing
really bad in it. But this is not
the Christian view. We do not
deceive selves by mere
happy talk. We must not turn
the Christmas carol record up
so loud as to drown the sounds
OF weeping in the darkness.
Christmas is not a season to for
get the woes of the world. it is
time to resolve afresh to do
what we can to make those
woes fewer. Christians can join
in every good work for the bene-
fit of the oppressed and the
lonely and the victims of mans
inhumanity to man, because we
believe that God is still on the
throne. Christmas should re-
mind us that it is possible to
rejoice even in the midst OF frus-
ration. disappointment and re-
grets. possible to cherish hope
even long deferred. And Christ
maStde may even rebuke us:
For the troubles of the world,
are we not partly to blame?
Can we honestly say that we
have never caused a single tear
in the Borrowing world? Is our
Christianity all matter of
carefree carols, or of outstretch-