The Wonder of Christmas
The Wonder of Christmas
Allow me to share a Christmas quiz which I think you will find interesting. The correct answers are at the end of the column.
1) What does the average American plan to spend on Christmas gifts this year? a) $255 b) $569 c) $798 d) $1,007
2) What percentage of Americans will buy Christmas gifts this year?
a) 69% b) 74% c) 86% d) 97%
3) What is the best-selling Christmas song of all time?
a) White Christmas b) All I Want for Christmas is You c) Baby It’s Cold Outside d) This Christmas
4) Approximately how many million real Christmas trees will be sold in the US this year? a) 20-25 b) 25-30 c) 35-40 d) 45-50
5) What percentage of Americans put up an artificial Christmas tree? a) 46% b) 67% c) 82% d) 94%
While these questions about how Americans celebrate Christmas can be fascinating, most of us have heard the original story of Christmas so many times that it has become a bit commonplace. However, not everyone has heard the actual Christmas story.
I will never forget my experience one year when traveling home from college. I looked forward to spending the holidays with my family, but dreaded the 12-hour bus ride. To make matters worse, the bus had few empty seats. A little boy about five or six years old sat next to me. I have always enjoyed talking to children, and we soon began talking about Christmas. I eventually asked if he had ever heard the real Christmas story. He had not, but it was evident he was eager to listen to it.
As our Trailways bus rolled down the interstate, I told him the story of God’s Son, Je-sus, and his birth in a barn. I had the privilege of witnessing the wonder of someone hearing the first Christmas story for the first time. Here is an abbreviated version of the story. Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for a census and… “He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. (Luke 2:5-7, NLT)
Most of us tend to take this story for granted, but as we prepare for Christmas, take a few minutes to reread the account of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:1-20 and try to imagine that you are hearing the story for the first time. Perhaps reading it this way will help you appreciate the wonder that little boy experienced on that bus 45 years ago.
(Answers, Question 1, D, Question 2, C, Question 3, A, Question 4, B, Question 5, D. Source for questions 1-2, Gallup, Question 3, Good Housekeeping, Questions 4-5, The American Christmas Tree Association)