| Christmas Broke Out - article by Joel Hempel In a little book of devotions entitled Letting God by Philip Parham, I read a story about an American writer who, a few decades ago, spent Christmas Eve with his wife in a drab little café in Paris. Everyone was eating in complete silence. The only conversations were between the servers and the patrons. It seemed to the writer that nearly everyone in the nearby area who didn’t like or didn’t believe in Christmas found their way to this restaurant. While he and his wife were eating, an old flower woman came through the door and went from table to table. But she made no sales. She then sat down to have a bowl of soup. Stepping into this sad scene, a handsome young sailor rose from the table where he had written a letter. He went to the flower lady’s table and said, Merry Christmas! And proceeded to choose two corsages. How much are these? Two francs, monsieur. The sailor pressed one of the small corsages flat, put it into the letter with a kiss, and then handed the woman a twenty-franc note. I don’t have change, monsieur; I’ll get some from the waiter. No Ma’am. This is my Christmas present to you. The sailor then went to the writer’s table. May I have permission to present these flowers to your beautiful wife? With the writer’s permission, in one quick motion, he gave her the corsage, wished them a holy Christmas, and departed. Everyone had stopped eating to watch the sailor. When he left, there was a different kind of silence. Then suddenly, Christmas broke out throughout the restaurant with smiles, laughter, tears of joy, and intimate conversations. Christmas broke out throughout that café, and it began with one person who could not keep Christmas contained within himself. The joy he felt, the love he felt, had to be shared! In a similar but much more profound way, Christmas broke out on the face of the world 2000 years ago when God could not keep his love for us within himself (see John 3:16). It had to be shared. Unto us a child was born, unto us the Son of God was given . . . given to die for each of us. When Jesus was born into the world, angels sang, shepherds hastened to Bethlehem, and kings followed a star because the joy and love given in the person of Jesus was for more than Mary and Joseph. It was for shepherds and kings of all times, for people of all nations and generations; it was for young and old alike. The Son of God was given for you! Please, whatever you do, don’t read that last sentence and then let it go. Ponder what the gift of Jesus means for you. At the bare minimum, it means a life of meaning now, a life of service and love for others. And ultimately, it means life eternal with God for all who believe in the Miracle of Christmas. | 
