A Christmas Tale(James brown) On Sunday, a couple of weeks before December 25th, I attended an Evangelical Church service. After a couple of Jesus love songs, a short welcome prayer by tall pastor Tom, the main attraction which filled the pews, the annual children’s Christmas story was presented by the pastor’s spouse, Jenifer.

You’ve all been to children’s shows where parents adore their offspring while others count the time it will be over. Jenifer put on a presentation with about 50-60 potential future stars. It would be a minor miracle to keep them all together for the hour saga of singing, dancing, and acting but she does big time miracle. The kids from 3 to 12 knew their cues, remembered their lines, sang beautifully, and accompanied it with stance, hand, face, and eye gestures that made you wish a talent agent was in the congregation to sign on Jenifer, the lead stars, and the entire group for America’s Got Talent.

Despite a cowboy and Indian background theme, to me a distraction, she pulled off an inspirational show. I was spiritually moved. After the last bow to the audience, I wanted to rush to a couple of the children and praise them for the exceptional life force exhibited to be within them.

Out in the Church's large vestibule, I reflected on how the program had moved me spiritually. While not religious, I believe in God, a God that grows greater as science advances, not diminishes.

The concept of God is inherent in human existence. People need and love Gods. Monotheism, initially proposed by Babylonians or an Egyptian pharaoh, had condensed the myriad Gods down to one. The God of everything.

In Judaism this God is named Yahweh in Hebrew. In Christianity it’s God the Father but with a complicated bonus of three gods in one, The Trinity, of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit. Islam, like Judaism, keeps it simple with one God called Allah in Arabic. Followers of these three religions agree this God is the same God as the other faiths with a little exception to the odd twist of the Christian Trinity for Jews and Muslims.

Mingling amongst the parishioners after the service, I mused over which religion was the better of the three for human need. They all have their strengths versus weaknesses. Scanning across the room I saw a devout church member with the answer displayed on his chest. He was wearing a Christmas tie with a reindeer pulling a sleigh holding Santa Clause delivering presents.

I confronted him with my newfound insight.

“David as you know Jews, Muslims, and Christians all worship the same God. Do you know why Christians have the best religion?”

He looked askance, obviously a trick question, afraid to say the wrong thing after such a wonderful children’s presentation. I took his befuddled silence as authorization to present my brilliant answer.

Christians get Santa, reindeers, sleighs, Christmas trees, holly, mistletoe, candy canes, plus, like just presented by the kids, a manger, wise men, a star, even donkeys and camels. We also get carols, Silent Night, Gloria In Excelsis Deo, Jingle Bells, Hark, The Angles Sing, Away In A Manger, even Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer."

He looked at me oddly, his eyes flitted about for an escape path. I hadn’t even got to Christmas art. I figured it best to cut out Christmas cards and keep it brief by not even bringing up the Resurrection, the Easter Bunny and its eggs.

Sensing his bewilderment. I cut it short, assumed intellectual superiority and with grace ended my diatribe by heartily shaking his hand, exclaiming.

“Merry Christmas, David”.

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