The Reverend Harold A. Linn, Pastor

The Heaping Pile - A Christmas Parable

By Dr. Richard P. Bucher

A Pastor once gave a talk to children at a Sunday School Christmas party. He began by directing their attention to a heaping pile sitting atop a table. "Everything in this pile," he informed them, "are things that remind us of Christmas and fill our hearts with happiness." On the very top of the pile was an ornament and a piece of tinsel. "These remind us of the Christmas tree." Right below them in the pile was a candy cane. "Who can celebrate Christmas without these?" he wondered with a smile.

One by one he sifted through the pile, removing the items as he went. As he held up each item, he asked the children to shout out what it was: mistletoe, Christmas cookies, a toy Santa, reindeer, a snowman, tree lights, Christmas candles, colorful wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, presents of various sizes, toy elves, a wreath, and a picture of carolers. There was even a little sleigh with bells attached to it. "Jingle Bells," the children shouted excitedly.

When the Pastor neared the bottom of the pile, he put his hand over his mouth in mocked surprise, and exclaimed, "Will you look at this? What do we have here?" As the children swarmed around the table, the Pastor stepped to the side so they all could see. There on the very bottom of the pile, the very last object to be seen, was a miniature baby Jesus in a manger. It had been buried beneath all the other items. "What do you think of this?" asked the Pastor. "Should the baby Jesus have been on the bottom of the pile like this?" "No," they replied. "He should have been on the top!" "But why?" the Pastor wanted to know. "Because Christmas is Jesus' birthday!" they chimed in unison.

Now it was time for the Pastor to explain. "Children, all of the things in this pile don't really have anything to do with the real meaning of Christmas, Jesus' birthday. They are holiday customs that many Christians and nonChristians use at Christmas time, but they are just customs. There is nothing wrong with using these things, in fact they can be a lot of fun. But we need to be careful that we don't pay so much attention to these holiday customs, that they bury baby Jesus, and cause us to not think of him as much, or maybe forget him altogether. For without baby Jesus our Savior, there is no Christmas, no matter how many holiday customs we have. The real joy and happiness of Christmas, is that Jesus Christ our Savior has been born for us." Without him, these other things are nothing. Right?" "Right," the children shouted.

December 2001