CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

            In a recently published book, the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church has challenged some of the traditions of Christmas. One thing he states is the birth date of Christ isn’t December 25st. This has long been affirmed by bible scholars who generally accept his birth in April of 5 B.C. Another claim he makes is that there was no donkey or other animals at the manger.  This is an argument from silence. The biblical account does not mention any animals present. It mentions the manger but not a stable. But since mangers were in stables or caves and animals were kept in those stables and caves, it is safe to assume animals were present at Jesus’ birth. One thing he does not mention as far as I know (I haven’t read his book which has just been published) is that the wise men were not at the manger but a “house” and we have no idea how many there were. The “star” of Bethlehem would have been over the same house, not the manger.

            The Pope does deal with the angels. They were not at the manger. Reading in Luke’s birth narrative the angels were in the field with the shepherds and then went away into heaven. And the angels didn’t sing, they spoke.

             All my life I had assumed they sang. That’s what I was taught. And every Christmas season we sing “Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains.” The question has been raised, “Do angels sing.” Some passages have them doing so, such as Revelation 5:11-12 “I looked and I heard the voice of many angels…singing with a loud voice.” But the word used for singing can also be translated as “saying.” But singing has been a part of worship in ancient and modern times. (It was banned in some early Protestant churches.) Surely the angels sing. I imagine them singing to the shepherds as Handel has them doing in his Messiah, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill, toward men!”

            Our manger scene at home will continue to have wise men, animals and angels. And let us continue to sing our carols with gusto, for I am sure God receives and approves our praise. 

Grace and peace.