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It's dated by now, but the point is ever relevant. In coursing through Christmas files I came upon a paragraph I employed in the very first Christmas sermon I ever preached back in the mid-sixties. "On Christmas day, 1962, the St. Petersburg (FLA) Times did a very unusual thing. For that day only it had two front pages. The editors of the newspaper explained their actions in a small box on the first page. It read: 'In keeping with the tradition and spirit of the holidays, the Times this morning has two front pages. Only good news and news in the holiday vein appear on this page. For full reports on other happenings around the world please see the second front page, Page 3-A. Merry Christmas!' "
True to their promise, the first page had nothing but good news. There was a large picture of Santa Claus, with a big smile, white whiskers, red suit and all. There was also a story of pilgrims entering the ancient gates of the Holy Land, one of the Pope blessing the human family, and another of the first Christmas in 1604 in Maine. The second front page had news of the world, and I don't have to tell you what a contrast it was. The headlines read, "Cuba Freedom Fighters Praised by Kennedy." Smaller articles were entitled, "Masked Gunmen Grab $100,000 in Chicago," and "A Clash in the Congo."
I'm sure the intention of the editors was good, but by having two front pages, they gave the impression that there are two different worlds that we live in, and that the events of these worlds have nothing to do with each other. The reality of Christmas says that there is only one world, a ruggedly real world, and it was into this world that Christ was born. It was on this planet, with all of its bleak headlines that Christ, "... the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" Sure, our religion is sentimental, but it is ruggedly realistic, too.
-- Schroeder
It's dated by now, but the point is ever relevant. In coursing through Christmas files I came upon a paragraph I employed in the very first Christmas sermon I ever preached back in the mid-sixties. "On Christmas day, 1962, the St. Petersburg (FLA) Times did a very unusual thing. For that day only it had two front pages. The editors of the newspaper explained their actions in a small box on the first page. It read: 'In keeping with the tradition and spirit of the holidays, the Times this morning has two front pages. Only good news and news in the holiday vein appear on this page. For full reports on other happenings around the world please see the second front page, Page 3-A. Merry Christmas!' "
True to their promise, the first page had nothing but good news. There was a large picture of Santa Claus, with a big smile, white whiskers, red suit and all. There was also a story of pilgrims entering the ancient gates of the Holy Land, one of the Pope blessing the human family, and another of the first Christmas in 1604 in Maine. The second front page had news of the world, and I don't have to tell you what a contrast it was. The headlines read, "Cuba Freedom Fighters Praised by Kennedy." Smaller articles were entitled, "Masked Gunmen Grab $100,000 in Chicago," and "A Clash in the Congo."
I'm sure the intention of the editors was good, but by having two front pages, they gave the impression that there are two different worlds that we live in, and that the events of these worlds have nothing to do with each other. The reality of Christmas says that there is only one world, a ruggedly real world, and it was into this world that Christ was born. It was on this planet, with all of its bleak headlines that Christ, "... the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" Sure, our religion is sentimental, but it is ruggedly realistic, too.
-- Schroeder
