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Times -Advocate, Decernber 24, 1985
Times Established 1873
Advocate Istablil,'hed 1881
Amalgama ed 1924
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lance f�rw?rd.... backward -
By Robert Donnan
Exeter Pehtecos.t I Church
• Christmas is not only an event in history: it expresses a hope
for the future. We welcome it as a season of good will. as a family •
Festival, as a time to be more mindful of others. We are gladden-
ed by the music and the art which enshrined the birth of the Christ
Child almost 2000 years ago. But ('hristmas means not so much
'a glance backward, as a look forward. Il is a prophetic. day.
The prophet Isaiah prophesied of the Saviours birth 700 years
before He was born. He prophesied that the government would be
upon His shoulder, He would be called the Prince of Peace and of
the,increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his Kingdom to order it, and
to establish.it, with judgement and justice from henceforth even
for ever. Isa. 9:6,7 ► . _
As we meditate on this prophetic word - we see a Saviour. who
was the Redeemer of mankind. The Scripture tells us that God was
in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. The scripture tells
us 'that He shall be called Immanuel - "God with us", not beyond
us. For large numbers of people, the true ineaning of His birth has
been lost.
How dramatically this was illustrated in the experience Life
magazine had in preparing its Christmas issue.... December. A
photographer had been sent to the school of San-Roco in Italy to
get some pictures of the wonderful Tintoretto murals of the
• nativity.
- The photographer tried every conceivable kind of light but the
• colours would not come clear. Upon minute examination it was
revealed that these murals of the nativity had been overlaid with.
four centuries of' varnish, dust. and the accumulation of dirt
through which the radiant beauty of the original colours could not
shine. -
This is a perfect analogy to what has happe�ed to the Christmas
• message itself. The real meaning of ChristmaY:..been overlaid
with centuries -of sentimental varnish and commercial dust until
millions see in Christmas only the sweet story a baby in a manger
.for whom we are moved to pity; or the occasion for an organized.
commercialized. vulgarized carnival of gaudy splendour.
We need to be reminded today that salvation is. the only thing
Christmas has to give. The Mission of the Son of God in coming
to this world, was to open upjo men the way that leads -to the glory.
He had before the world began.
Oh yes. the prophet Isaiah saw a Saviour who was desperately
needed, but he also saw a King who would establish a kingdom
with justice and judgment From henceforth and even forever more.
In a world that is filled with strife, how fitting are the words of
that beautiful carol "I heard the bells on Christmas Day."
" and in despair. i bowed my head:
" There is no peace on.earth," i said, • „:.,r>.;�.s=
For hate is strong, and marks the song
Of peace on earth. good -will to men."
Truly the greatest desire of mankind today must be to have
peace. There can be no lasting peace until the Prince of Peace
comes back to this earth again. Truly Isaiah spoke prohet-ically
when he said "but with righteousness shall he judge the poor. and
reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smile
the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips
shall he slay the wicked, and righteousness shall be the girdle• of
his loins, and faithfulness the girdle o this reins. They shall not
hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountai f the earth shall beJu11 •A
of the knowledge of the Lord. as the ►►>iter cover the sea." :,, ;►
isa•. 11:4.5,9r
Yes, Christmas expresses a hope for the Future. One day soon,
this "Blessed•Hope" will be Blessed reality. Handel expressed hope w �»
for the future when he penned these words -
King of -Kings and Lord of Lords
King of Kings and Lord of Lords
And He shall reign forever and ever.
• : .,,r,
r
of ��
Enjoythe sim licit p y
that goes with the lavish gift, on-.
ly to have the recipient quickly
drop it in favor of playing with
the box in which the gift had been
wra peed''
The message tends to infer that
('hristmas is really a very simple
thing: yet it is often spoiled by
our very attempt to make it more
complex. Perhaps. in keeping
with our wisdom and age?
So: the wish for each of our
readers is for a very simple
('hristmas where you can enjoy
the music. laughter. • sights and
smells and the simplicity which
has made that story of almost
2.0(0 ye).rs ago so enduring and
endearing.
To conclude this final column of
the year', We at the T -A extend our
sincere appreciation to all who
have assisted in the job of com-
piling and publishing the news
events of the area throughout
1985.
Despite the opinion held by
some, ne►wApapers don't make
the news...they just print it.
Newspapers have to rely- on the
residents of their circulation area
to keep. them abreast of what is
going on. and to that end, our
readeu, have served us very
faithfully.
i also include my personal
thanks along with the wish for a
very happy holiday season for all
my friends and readers and the
hope that 1986 will be a good news
year for you and yours.
Just to substantiate the old
adage that times flies when
you're having fun. the end of
another year is now is in sight
and signals the annual question of
where all the time went.
Perhaps the answer rests in the
fact that this has been interna-
tional Year of the Youth and
there was a subconscious effort to
shake some of the cobwebs from
the cranium in an attempt to
tackle 1985 with youthful zeal and
enthusiasm.
More appropriate. perchance .
is the fact the writer hit the half
Century mark this year and is
loathe to admit that the distance
factor from the days of hisyouth
is widening considerably.
There are those who suggest
that age is all in one's mind. i'll
agree with that. to a point. but
one can not escape the fact a
comb does not wear out as quick-
ly these days nor that one's arms
appear too short for the size of
printed material to be read.
it's possible to argue that to-
day's comb are more durable or
that the size of printed material
is indeed smaller. but the reality
is that everyone became a year
older in 1985. But. considering' the
alternative of not being around to
observe a birthday. the aging
process doesn't look all had.
Now you're probably wonder-
ing what age has to do With a col-
umn in this ('hristmas issue.
Well, there is every indication
that the enjoytnent manor people
get out of the festive and .holy
season is in direct relation to
their age.
We're reminded frequently
that ('hristmas is f?r kids. That's
pure humbug, of• course. Those
who dismiss their lack of en-
thusiasm and enjoyment on that
basis, do themselves an injustice.
Batt'n
Around
with
r The Idrlor
but more regrettable, they olten
dim the enjoyment for others
around them.
Christmas is for all ages. and
while it may he reflected most
vividly in the faces of the young
as they anticipate thea big day.
that reflection in itself can bring
unbridled joy to others.
Those wh9.get caught up in the
harried pace of the season and
become loo entangled to enjoy
the true snirit often need to be
reminded That even children ap-
pear to gain the most pleasure
from the simplest things.
How many parents have been
brought to their senses after
awaiting the expected reward
1
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Christmas past
Ah Christmas! Ugh Christmas!
Aggh, 'Christmas! One's en-
thusiasm seems to drain as- one
grows older. I don't mind the first
carols beginning before the Grey
Cup game. I don't mind a big
turkey dinner, after eating frozen
turkey dinners all year. I enjoy
a Christmas tree, if somebody
else will piclt it up, make the
dam' thing stand up and decorate
it. I love a big fire in the fireplace,
if somebody else will fetch the
wood from the cellar.
Othery se, it's about as ex-
citing as Labour Day. And you
don't have sweep out the needles
on that holiday.
However, there are remem-
brances of Christmas pasts. And
some. of them are great ones.
My childhood Christmasep
were all anyone could want,
although during the Depression,
gifts were, pretty scanty. But
there was always an apple, an
orange, and some nuts in the
stocking. Maybe a book under the
tree. But usually a new set of
longjohns.
I remember a Christmas at an -
IAAF station in North Wales. We
rookie officers were introduced '
to an old custom: the officers
served dinner to the "other
ranks.'= We did it with a certain
elan, considering th • t all the
WAAF's were giggling an 6trying
to pinch or pat our bums as we
weaved, and I mean `►heaved,
among the tables. We had for-
tified ourselves before the meal.
Some officers were so well for-
tified that they slept through the
officers' dinner in the mess
afterwards.
i remember another in prison
camp. We had' saved and
scrounged from the last Ked
Cross parcels to get through. it_
began, as i recall. with crocktails
( potato whiskey) , went' through
creamed salmon on toast and
wound up with a vast cake.
unleavened, made of ground
wafers, chocolate, and dried
milk, beaten with water.
Anyway, we lay around and
groaned. for the last time in six
months.
Another Christmas dinner was
in a sanatorium. That was a real
gasser. Lukewarm -turkey,
lukewarm everything,. and five
other guys coughing their guts
out. However, we got our plum
pudding. which looked
suspiciously like the usual -
tapioca pudding, with a sprig of
holly: or pine needles, .on top.
•Then it was great Christmas
dinners at Granny's, for a -few
years. Five hours frantic
preparation in the kitchen, one
hour: to eat, then the women back
in the kitchen for two hours,
washing up, while the men stret-
ched out like pythons, just fed.
Jolly good. .
However, these great dinners
Sugar-
& Spice
Dispensed
by
Smiley
were not without incidents. 'On
one occasion, my brother-in-law
and i went in on a television set
for the folks on the farm. With
great secrecy. we put it on a
toboggan. and slid it 200 yards up
the snowy lafie the the house. We
hoisted the great box into the kit-
chen. Kim, about three, said,"1'
hope you like the TB. Gran." The'
whole clandestine surprise
busted by a kid. Anyway, Gran
liked. it.
On another occasion. my wife
decided to do the honors. It was
the first real home we'd had- half
a house. She spat and polished,
even the stove, and invited her
parents and a favorite aunt for
the big Christmas dinner. She
was like a whirling dervish, mak-
ing gravy, bashing potatoes,
while i stood around being
helpful. Finally, she handed me
the platter with the turkey on it.
I headed for the -table, and the
dang turkey- you know how slip-
pery they are- slid right off the
platter and onto the fresh -
polished floor.. I have never been
closer to death. '
However, everyone was great,
and they had a good turkey. din-
ner, except for Tiny Tim- yours
truly- who spent the rest of the
dinner washing the floor.
Another big flop was the time
we invited Gran and Grandad out
to a hotel for Christmas dinner.
'Gran was a bit past the getting of
a gargantuan meal. It was my
idea; last of the big-time
spenders We all got dressed up,
which we didn't do at the farm.
The dinner was third-rate, and
we were all embarrassed. even
the kids. Limp. cool turkey,
dressing made from old runing-
shoes, gravy from a can. The on-
ly ,thing I could think of was,
"well, no dishes to do." This
cheery note was greeted by stony
silence.
Last two years haven't been so
bad. Auntie Iris invited us all for
Christmas dinner, and it was the
good old style.
Last year, after about thirty
seconds dialogue. we agreed to go
out to a restaurant, and it turned
out to be first-rate. No turkey, but
all ' you could eat. My grand -
boys put away about twice as
much as any adult.
My only regret is for the time
my mother cooked a great turkey
dinner, to be served about three
o'clock. My older brother and
sister and a friend went outski-
ing and arrived home at five, full
of themselves. My kid brother
and I sneaked off to the matinee,
and arrived home, guilty, about
the same time. My mother didn't
say a word, but the dinner was
ruined, and I've never felt so guil-
t since:
its Vol]lrr 1,r•r•ikos 1'Ncelc•f. public School
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