Comfort and Joy

As a child singing ‘God rest you merry gentlemen’… ‘Merry’ implied intoxicated; inebriated gentlemen in our strictly teetotal church was inappropriately amusing… and we’d sing ‘God rest ye Jerry mental men’. In post-war films the ‘Jerries’ were always the bad guys…

Then the verse:

In Bethlehem, in Jewry this blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary did nothing take in scorn…

…I had two pictures… a Perry Mason trial and a jury with some invented Christmas crime… and ‘the witch his mother Mary’ wearing a black cloak and a pointed hat, rather than a blue dressing gown and a tea-towel…

My childish mind spinning in all directions never got to the ‘tidings of comfort and joy…’

This weekend I had long conversations with three friends, three gents in complex situations who need comfort and joy this Christmas…

…Adrian has a son whom he hasn’t seen for several years. Adrian doesn’t know where his son is because his ex-partner has taken him away. He loves his son very much…

…Syd’s had two failed marriage; Syd’s been with his current partner for many years, but the now-toxic relationship has collapsed. Syd avoids home as much as possible.

…Bill’s dementia is deteriorating. Bill also has a heart condition and other significant medical conditions. He’s content, but has a loving family whom he’s concerned about.

Yesterday at church we had our Christmas nativity service… teenaged wise men walked around the church with telescopes, younger Mary and Joseph arrived at the stable, even younger stars, spread glitter everywhere, proud parents wondered what would happen next.

The angel with obligatory tinsel halo and white dress with wings said to shepherds, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’

I mused…

…Gentlemen friends, young children, parents… Christmas spent alone or with families… past mistakes, present anxieties, future hopes…

…Don’t be afraid …comfort and joy …for everybody… God rest you.