Christmas 2025

We seem to hate our bodies, 

Loath embodiment. 

If we aren't longing to have our souls pull off into heaven, 

Then we are talking about uploading our essences 

To a computer singularity.

Short of that, we spend half our time 

Disembodied, our minds focused

On digital substitutes for reality.

Christmas is embodiment. 

The messiness and pain of birth. 

A human man, walking the Earth

In sandalled feet 

Mostly on dirt roads 

(only occasionally on water). 

He wasn't forever talking about disembodied souls. 

He connected them to bodies. 

Earthy illness healed - sometimes with mud. 

Leaving these poor husks of bodies behind, 

Christmas is the reverse. 

Earthy stories about seeds and sheep

And lost objects and money. 

Earthly relationships restored.

And finally, 

All of creation restored.

Here. 

Not in a virtual reality, 

Not in a digital version of our brainwaves,

Not in a fantasy realm of clouds and harps.

Here. 

On Earth as it is in Heaven. 

He came to embody

With hands and feet

And a voice and a face

The goodness of a human life. 

We are called

Not to disembodiment,

But to incarnation. 

 

A Christmas Parody (which is protected free speech)

Full disclosure: I own Grinch merch. 

Nonetheless... 

All the Peeps who like Christmas - and some who did not -

All liked "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" a lot. 

A book about Christmas not having a price,

It told us that Christmas was NOT merchandise. 

Although as a kids' book it couldn't be topped,

Some still tried to top it and couldn't be stopped.

First came a Grinch special TV presentation,

Then a live action Grinch, then CGI animation. 

The Grinch started snowballing, couldn't be caught!

In culture, it turned into a huge juggernaut!

The author's estate saw the Peeps adoration

And thought, "This is ripe for some monetization!"

Soon the Grinch was on T-shirts and sweathirts and hats!

His image was plastered on welcoming mats!

Grinchy mugs, Grinchy cups, Grinchy mittens and coats!

Grinchy cookies and dog treats and green Grinchy oats! 

And Christmas now turned into Grinchmas instead.

Perhaps it was right it was turned on its head - 

We seem to laud those who steal things away, 

And dis on the people who make good things stay.

We live in an age that admires the Grinch,

Forgetting his later redemption's a cinch. 

The tale that said Christmas might mean something more,

Has now become Grinchmas and sold in a store. 

But perhaps we might all learn a thing from the Whos

And put ourselves into their little Who shoes.

Despite all the things Grinches try to destroy,

The right way to respond is to hold on to joy.

Cheered

We stood in the staging ground 

For the city Christmas parade

Watching from the other side of the street

The floats prep for their turn to join 

The procession. 

And then it started. 

Floats were dispactched, 

Lurching out into the street 

In slow motion

To glide past waiting crowds.

Directly across from us was a float 

With the words O Holy Night 

Stretched across its side, 

And inside, a crowd of children prepared to sing

Or play the musical instruments 

Poised in front of them, 

Held at the ready. 

But it wasn't their turn to join. 

Apparently they held a later number 

On the parade list 

Because they had a long time to wait

For their turn to turn out into the street. 

So as they watched the other floats roll by, 

They cheered them on. 

For every float, there arose from the children

A round of applause 

And a spontaneous cheer of joy 

And encouragement and delight, 

Cheering the other floats on. 

Floats that sprayed soap-sud snow at them

Or had particularly spectacular lights 

Or giant sparklers sparking 

Received particularly loud cheers. 

But every one was cheered, 

And it seemed to me that we would all do well

To pay attention to everyone passing by,

And to find a way to cheer them on.

Everyone who passed was cheered. 

They never saw me standing across the street 

Hidden in the dim light and the crowding spectators. 

But I, too, was cheered.