They’ve carted the tree from the deep woods Tall and strong, lashed onto a cart And pulled by a team of horses Into the village, into the square. They work together, lifting it into place Securing its base with buttresses and stones Until it is upright, as sturdy as it stood in the forest Then…
In a year of contagion, isolation Of sickness and fear Waiting for things to go back to how they were Will they? Should they? Shops and radios alike blare Rudolph and Frosty Everyone pretending that everything’s fine Maybe if we can’t afford That Christmas of the usual, luxury and fun Maybe if we can’t see…
Can love ever be a waste? No! we cry. Of course not! Love is an absolute good, how can it ever be wasted? And yet we all remember gifts of time and care accepted without appreciation kindness in word and deed sneered at and spat upon Generosity taken for granted while the giver, (obviously a…
Klaus” is an animated movie that starts with a standard plot device of a spoiled rich boy who is sent to an out of the way location by his father. He is informed he is going to be the postman of a small town on a small island called Smeerensberg. His father says he must…
The woods of memory are littered with the detritus of myriad moments The flotsam and jetsam of a life strewn along every path A small cloth elephant sits on a log bright pink, beautifully embroidered opening a path to a long trip through many countries the child’s remembrances are vague now and the path is…
I love a good Christmas carol Singing peace on Earth Christ is born Come let us adore Him We sing of shepherds getting supernatural visitation we sing of wise men taking a leap of faith we sing of a family out in the cold of a child born in poverty bearing the gift of…
Never mind the Hallmark movies, if you want a great Christmas film, you can’t go wrong with this. Starring Cary Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young, “The Bishop’s Wife” involves Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) who becomes obsessed with the idea of building a cathedral. This needs funds, and his main donor is a self-absorbed…
And man, at war with man, hears not The love-song which they bring; O hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sing. No! shout the people of strife We won’t listen! Love is meaningless Peace is for the strong Justice is for the rich So tell heaven’s all-gracious king we will…
On the face of it, there’s nothing much to it. The run time is under half an hour, the animation is shoddy, and the voice actors mostly inexperienced. The plot is rudimentary at best. And yet … there’s something about Charlie Brown and his friends that appeals to people all over the world. They inhabit…
Check the clock, organize shop, visit, eat, drink invitations issued and accepted, cards dutifully filled out gifts dutifully bought tick off the to-do list until at last it’s all organized Christmas by the numbers How much is duty how much is expectation how much is actual love how much is remembrance of God’s great…
