Wednesday, December 22, 2004

I’ve been oddly unbloggy of late. Sorry.

Hey to Carlton! Thanks for the holla.

It has come to my attention that certain folks back in the Homeland are mounting a public “defense of Christmas”. This strikes me as one of those things that will cause everyone involved to look back and laugh someday.

Well, maybe not.

Anyway, TV’s Bill O’Reilly is commanding an artillery battery for the defense. I’ve read things on the Internets lately which demonstrate that Christmas is, according to him, the celebration of the birth of “the philosopher Jesus”.

For some reason I doubted him on this, so I looked it up. Turns out he’s right! Here’s a central part of the story from the book of Luke:

8  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid because they had never been exposed to even the most basic sort of theological preparation.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a thinker, which is Jesus the Philosopher.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in courdoroy swaddling clothes with leather patches on the elbows, smoking a pipe, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe, already wrestling with the difference between “need” and “desire”, laying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart, because she was more of a feeler than a thinker. Joseph, of course, was a do-er. Jesus got all the brains in the family.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.


I’m sorry if you were looking for a solstice card from me. I’ve just been SOOOOO busy lately!

Season’s Greetings, though. I love you!