Real Christmas Magic

 The Real Christmas Magic

I am so thankful for this night and all the magic it holds. Sure, there is the commercial magic of sparkly Christmas lights; perfectly wrapped packages filled with all our material hopes and desires; little kids peering out the window to catch a glimpse of Santa and his magical flying reindeer. That is some awesome Christmas magic, but not the real deal Christmas magic.

The real reason the air is a little different on Christmas Eve is because all of heaven and nature knows this is the night the greatest of all miracles took place. 

When I think about the magic of the most wonderful Christmas miracle, I am completely overwhelmed.

Just think about the common, overlooked absolute miracle of every baby being born. But that baby, that night, was miraculous in a way no one, even those "in the know," could possibly conceive.

And those people "in the know." Wow! How awesome that must have been. Think about how exciting it is when you know about something BIG; I mean HUGE, before everyone else. Your heart beats a little faster, everything is sharper, more vivid. 

Think about those shepherds hanging out in their field one night, minding their business, watching their sheep, when out of the blue and angel of the Lord appears because God himself decided they were worthy enough to know this great secret before everyone else in the entire world.

And the wise men - half a world away, worked and studied and were the first ones to break the code of the bright, new star. Just think how cool it is when you are the first one to figure something out. These men broke the greatest of all codes, and were the first to feel compelled by this baby king to leave their world behind to come and worship a new born king.

And just the image of the entire scene itself, the cold night; a virgin mother; a new baby sleeping in a lowly manager, surrounded by the animals of the field, who too must have known the magnitude of what they were witnessing; the mystical, inexplicable new star, the angels heralding the birth of a king... all of it is just so magnificent it is breath taking.

And all of it covered it the mystery of secret and the understated grandeur of something so great it doesn't need to be yelled and screamed at the top of anyone's lungs.

Yes, the shiny packages and Santa magic is fantastic, but the magic of the paradox of that simple yet grand, miraculous night over two thousand years ago is the real, bonfide Christmas magic.

It is the stuff of spine tingling, hair standing up, goose bump producing magic. I know we have all heard the story so many times it seems mundane, but on this night, the night when the air is just "a little bit different," take a moment and revel in the true Christmas magic. 

As one of my favorite Christmas hymn versus says, "Sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation. Oh sing all ye citizens of heaven above. Glory to God, glory in the highest. Oh come let us adore him. Oh come let us afore him. Oh come let us adore him, Christ the Lord."

Remember, we are the Herald angels. It is our job to sing the glory of God every day. We are to exalt Him and spread the real Christmas magic and joy throughout the world.

What greater magic is there than the power we have to share the love of God to everyone we know everywhere and remind each other and reach out to those who don't yet know the only magic anyone needs is the joy of having the love of God in your heart.

Silent night. Holy night. All is calm. All is bright. 

Merry Christmas, friends. Come, let us adore him. 

First written December 24, 2010