HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1971-12-23, Page 13THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1971
`White Christmas'
Is Traditional
As Plum Pudding
For a quarter of a century
people have been sentimental-
ly dreaming their way through
a 'White Christmas."
It was in 1941, the black-
clouded war years'had already
begun, when Hollywood re-
leased a motion picture en-
titled: "Holiday Inn." The star
of this movie was the ever -
popular crooner, Bing Crosby.
But perhaps the real star of
"Holiday Inn" was the song
written especially for the
movie by Irving Berlin: "White
Christmas."
Through the ensuing 25
years, over 100 versions of the
song have been recorded by
almost as many artists, yet
"White Christmas" is synony-
mous with the name of Bing
Crosby.
The poignant Christmas
message that's found in the
song has made it popular
'round the world. It has been
translated into Italian, French,
Chinese, German, Spanish,
Hungarian, the Scandinavian
languages, several Polynesian
tongues and even Swahili.
December 24, 400 A.D.
In Italy, in the fifth century
A.D., church bells rang on
Christmas Eve to call Chris-
tians to worship.
This seemingly simple event
had great significance, for it
meant that Christians could
worship in freedom, instead of
in secret, as earlier suppres-
sion of Christianity had forced
them to do.
F41 roitt
ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
my window
This is the one time of the
year when I take the liberty to
expound on my spiritual feel-
ings about Christmas... but
this year, I'm more cautious
than usual. The reason for my
extra concern may be the fact
that for the past two or three
weeks at our office, we've
been having discussions about
the Christ Child, the Son of
God, and His relationship to
this whole question of faith.
And believe me, there are
many more people who would
discredit my belief than accept
it!
Everybody wants to have
proof. Everybody wants to be
shown that God is really and
truly there; that Jesus was not
only His Son but God Himself;
that the Holy Spirit is God,
the Comforter.
Everybody wants conclusive
evidence that Mary was a Virgin
and that she and Joseph (or
worse yet, some other fellow)
hadn't been indulging in a little
hanky-panky under the olive
trees.
Everybody wants an iron-
clad guarantee that if they ac-
cept this cock-and-bull story
about faith being the prime
requisite for eternal life, they
will be rewarded not only in
heaven but on earth as well.
And the pity of it all is that
there is no simple and visible
method by which to prove the
hri.tm
ir tflgB
Here's wishing you a merry
old-fashioned Christmas. And to you,
warm thanks for your confidence and trust!
It has been a pleasure to serve you.
V. L BECKER & SONS
"Your International Harvester Dealer"
Phone 23'7-3242 —•- Dashwood
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
existence of God. What's more
the way of Christ isn't always
the easiest. It doesn't even
necessarily pay dividents like
a life insurance policy in your
old age, unless, of course,
you count peace of mind as
a treasure.
How do you explain faith?
I don't know...but the older I
grow and the more I see, I'm
beginning to realize that faith
is really and truly a Gift of
God that is not readily accept-
able to everyone. And that's
why I glow with an inner pride
when people say to me, "I
envy those people who have a
firm faith. "
Not long ago a woman carne
to me. Her request was straight
forward.
"I know you are a Christian, "
she began. "I want to be one
too. Can you tell me how?"
"Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, " I answered, "and you
shall be. saved."
"Is that all?" she asked.
"That's it, " I told her.
And then the questions started
to pour out. They were full of
doubts. Where is God? How do
we know Christ was who He said
He was? Why does God allow
terrible things to go on - like
wars and famines and murdering
and looting - if He is really God
and really alive?" Isn't there
something we must DO to earn
salvation?
"Believing in Christ means
putting your full trust in flim for
everything, " I replied, feeling
the frustration she must be
experiencing at those words.
"No, there's nothing you can
do. It was all done for you
when Christ died on the cross.
Simply believe He's your Sav-
iour."
My heart ached for that
woman. I couldn't give her the
instant hope she had expected.
Maybe if I'd been able to tell
her that if she wore sack cloth
and ashes every Sunday for two
years she'd be a Christian, she
would have gone away content-
ed. Or maybe if I'd told her
that God didn't love her and
didn't want her in His kingdom
she could have accepted that.
I'tn not smug about this faith
I have in Christ. I'm humbled,
especially when I see all
around me those who just can-
not accept the Christ and the
total impact of His coming.
And that's why Christmas
hears such a tremendously joy-
ous message for me. I'm re-
minded that Christ came into
the world to do for me what I
couldn't do for myself. And
I thank God that I can believe
that, for there really is a
"peace that passeth all under-
standing" when you've accepted
The Christ -Child as your Saviour
Trees Live and Bloom
In Legends of Yuletide
Almost every kind of tree
has a legend relating it to the
Nativity or the life of Christ.
The cherry tree, says "The
Cherry Tree Carol," bent down
its boughs for Mary to pluck
the fruit.
The Glastonbury Thorn
blooms at Christmas because,
legend says, St. Joseph of
Arimathea, on his arrival in
England, drove his staff into
the ground, while he was car-
rying the Holy Grail, the chal-
ice used at the last supper.
The staff took root and grew
into a thorn tree.
PAGE 13
May the world rejoice again, in
Peace on Earth Good•Will to Men.
ca
FERGUSON
APIARIES
"PRODUCERS OF CHOICE QUALITY HONEY"
BILL AND ROSEMARY FERGUSON
ZURICH
Tuckey Beverages
EXETER