In a few days, the Christmas season in Natchez will be over. For some people the day cannot come soon enough. For others, the magic of Christmas should be celebrated all year long.

Last week, I mentioned how this year’s Christmas for our family was interrupted a bit by annoying little health ailments — Julie’s never-ending cough and my own pulled muscle in my back, which was followed by an injured rib.

But all things said, I will be sad when Christmas ends this year, mostly because around Christmastime people tend to be a little more cordial than we do during other times of the year — at least in small Southern towns.

“Merry Christmas to you,” is uttered during the holiday season as quickly as, “Good to see you,” is during the non-holiday times.

It’s just a simple thing, but it always makes me smile when I hear it.

At its core, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ.

But Biblical experts believe Christ wasn’t born on Dec. 25 — or likely any other time in December. Truth is, experts think he may have actually been born in either August or September.

Who knows, really? And ultimately, what does the actual date matter?

The specifics should not get in the way of honoring the birth of a child who was both human and God simultaneously.

Our Sunday school class recently studied the passage in Matthew in which Mary and Joseph learn of their responsibility to raise the Messiah.

I’ve probably heard the story dozens of times through the years. But the story of Joseph’s faith rang through in a particularly meaningful way this year.

Basically, the Bible tells us that Joseph was told his wife to be was about to have a baby and it wasn’t biologically his.

Probably most people would have tucked tail and run when faced with what would have almost certainly have been an embarrassing situation.

Joseph’s plan was simply to quietly divorce Mary, thus minimizing the public scrutiny and shame.

Then an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel told Joseph not to fear God’s plan and to continue to take Mary as his wife.

The next day when Joseph awoke, he could have continued on with his plan to divorce Mary.

Instead, Joseph did just what the angel had commanded him to do.

In most cases, for a man to proceed with a marriage to a woman who was carrying someone else’s baby takes guts.

But in this case, Joseph’s action took faith — tremendous faith.

He had to know that following God’s commands would come with some persecution and ridicule.

He did what God asked anyway.

And thankfully for all of us Joseph was faithful to what God asked.

The rest of the story is history.

God’s divine Son was born months later, and that tiny baby changed the world forever.

Regardless of the month in which he was born, or even the year, his birth, life, death and resurrection truly shaped the world around us.

And, this week, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of that small baby, hopefully, we can all remember the two most important commandments Jesus gave us.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Would that we could all keep those two simple commandments in our hearts and mind this holiday season.

Merry Christmas to all.

 

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.