Christmas Spring

It is Christmas Eve, and it’s not even noon. I’m sitting outside without a jacket, wearing a t-shirt. Welcome to Texas! We have a dozen little springs scattered throughout the winter.

We associate Christmas with snow, but isn’t spring weather a better symbol of Christmas? We were in the winter of our sins, but here today a baby is born, ‘tis Christ the Lord. And here, in mid-winter, is a little burst of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit descends, we take off all our armor against cold and sin and death, and we have coffee on the front porch.

Without a warm Christmas, we fall back on the winter solstice. That’s also a good symbol. It is dark and cold, but it is just before the dawn. Warmth is coming, ‘tis Christ the Lord. But, I still like this year’s mini-spring at Christmas.

The birds are singing to announce the arrival of our King! We three kings of Orient are sophisticated and wise and discern the signs in the stars, but we are behind the times. The birds and the sheep and their shepherds knew before us. The avant-garde is the rear guard.

And, that may be the perfect closing to 2021.