This sculpture of Mary and the Baby Jesus is in St. Augustine.
It has often been said that Christmas has a certain magic about it. We love the Ebenezer Scrooge story and his transformation so much that a dozen adaptations have been made. Disney even got in on that one. From Miracle on 34th Street to It’s a Wonderful Life, we embrace the special magic that surrounds Christmas.
As I’ve said before, it’s almost as if God draws a little closer to us during this season. Of course, it may be that we draw closer to Him. Maybe the feeling of magic comes from the miracle of the Virgin Birth itself. It may stem from angels filling the sky and bringing all mankind tidings of peace and joy directly from heaven or from a star that shone so brightly that it lit up the entire night sky.
There are countless stories of Christmas magic, where the seemingly impossible is made possible by those trying to spread the love and peace of Christ. There are stockings that get miraculously filled, to bills that get miraculously paid. While many of these “miracles” do come from common people, not God; I’ll bet that very often these “miracle workers” are being led by the Holy Spirit. I would also be willing to bet that these people are true believers who have opened their hearts to God’s will for them.
One magical Christmas moment occurred on Christmas Eve and Day in 1914. World War 1 had been raging for several months and it was proving to be the bloodiest and most destructive war mankind had ever seen. On the western front, German soldiers began lighting candles. The British soldiers could see them from their trenches. The Germans began singing the Christmas carol, Silent Night in German. The British soldiers responded by singing the carol in English.
Picture that scene for a moment. It’s freezing and dark. You hate the guy on the other side. You are trying to kill him, but then you hear a tune you know and love in a language you don’t know. “Silent night, holy night, all is calm all is bright..” What do you do? They answered in their own language.
For a single day, there was peace among enemies. The opposing soldiers mingled and sat around fires. They sang Christmas carols and exchanged small gifts like food and chocolate. The truce didn’t last and it wasn’t on every front of the war. But, on that small stretch of earth, there was peace on the night that we celebrate God’s gift to all mankind.
The truce didn’t repeat itself the next year. The higher-ups were very displeased when they heard about it. Enemy soldiers were never supposed to mingle, but when candles are lit and voices join together in Silent Night, well, miracles can happen, there can be peace on earth, even if only for a moment.
When we open our hearts to the reason for this season, we can be transformed and that, my friends is the true magic of Christmas. What do you think about Christmas magic? Feel free to share.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂