Yesterday I was presented with three distinctively different pictures of Christmas…
Comforting Christmas… Like most other days this week, yesterday was a carol-singing day. We sung Christmas songs at our morning Singing for Wellbeing group, then in the afternoon Singers for Wellbeing and Ukelele Strummers sung at a Christmas craft fayre at our local East Point Pavillion.
At both events we sung, ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas’, that presents a perfect Christmas of snow, sleigh-bells and Santa. Written by Irving Berlin, sung by Bing Crosby during the unrest of World War II it looks back to good Christmases in the past, alongside comforting images of Christmases at home when everybody comes together in harmony.
Competitive Christmas… I came home from the craft fayre to the draw for next year’s football World Cup from Washington. My TV took me from the comfort of Crosby’s good days and cosy harmony to competition and nations determined to show that they’re better than each other.
There was complicated talk about seeding, pots, confederation constraints, group positions and grids involving the forty-eight teams from across the world… I was reminded that some folks, in the complexity of Christmas, will feel that they must compare their Christmas provision with others. Christmas becomes a complicated competition.
Compassionate Christmas… Later in the evening there were pictures of The Prince and Princess of Wales and their family. Princess Kate was hosting her annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey, with royals, celebrities and unsung heroes in attendance.
The BBC reported: ‘The message of this year’s concert was that in a fragmented and disconnected world, small acts of generosity and love can bring people and communities together.’
Catherine, in a letter ahead of the carol service, wrote: ‘The time, care and compassion you give, often quietly and unspoken, and without any expectation or recognition, make an extraordinary difference to the lives of others.’
I’m praying that I shall be increasingly aware of these three images of Christmas, distinguish between them honestly, and make wise choices…
malcolmsmusings.org 
Compassionate and Comforting.
Two of our very good friends Julie J. and Paul were in a little antique shop near Holt earlier this year. Julie J. felt sure she recognised Princess Kate. When they were closer, she asked “Have they let you out for the day?”. Kate answered “Yes, Will’s looking after the kids today”. Paul, an ex RAF nurse, said “You’ve made my birthday”. Kate asked if it was his birthday “today”. He said “Yes” and she gave him a little hug.
When they told me I said that no-one could deserve it more.
Julie J. has been getting over a very nasty breast cancer and Paul’s thirty-five-year-old son took his own life last year.
I have to say I was rather “Republican” when young but over the years I have realised what fantastic work the queen did and is now being continued by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
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Whatever form of national leadership we have depends on the quality of the people at the top. I’m with you, Alan, in appreciating William and kate,
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Así es, el verdadero sentido de la navidad es Cristo y el amor que el ponga en cada corazón hará la diferencia para ser verdaderamente compasivos. Gracias por este post, bendiciones del Señor 🎁
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You’re right. Even when we think we know the meaning of Christmas it’s easy to miss it.
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Those are three very different views of what Christmas is suppose to be!
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With so many different voices to hear I think our job is to work out what it is supposed to be…
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I💯% agree!!
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I really like William and Kate – they seem to have their priorities straight, at this time of year and others. Thanks for reminding us of all the different ways Christmas looks, Malcolm!
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They do seem to be good people who are well respected certainly by most folk in the UK.
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