By John Warren

 

My wife and I like to listen to a certain radio program that comes on each evening.  We usually listen to it while we are in the car.

You may have heard of Delilah?  She oozes soothing words and Christian values.  The format of the program is that she takes calls and letters from folks who want to share their story of love lost, love conquered.  It could be a story of joy or sorrow.  Then after hearing the story and several commercials, she will announce that she had found just the right song for the caller’s situation.

We notoriously lose the radio station in Beaumont when I-10 makes the big turn and we miss the recommended song to soothe the listener’s life situation.

But not this time!

The caller was a father who was having trouble with his two sons fighting and arguing.  He asked Delilah, with Christmas coming, he did not know what to do.

She responded by saying that it sounded like to her that his boys needed to know the real meaning of Christmas and she had just the song for them.

After the commercial, she came back with her song selection.  I was absolutely disappointed.  The song she chose was Santa Claus Is Coming to Town complete with it’s lyrics, “he’s making a list he’s checking it twice.”

This is not the real meaning of Christmas!

Neither is the story of Elf on a Shelf.  In my day we had the belt in the closet!

But no, it is a story of the love of a young girl who was brave to say yes to God.

It is the story of a young man who forgave her and loved her still.

Her choice of music for that situation was off the mark.  I am convinced that she had to an opportunity to tell the greater story, true-life story that touches our hearts at Christmas.

I would have told that Dad to read the entire story of an angel coming to Mary and her obedience to follow.  I would have told him to tell his sons of Joseph who didn’t abandon them but loved her and her son and considered him his own son too even though he was really his step-father.

I think I would have chosen the song, “Mary Did You Know?”

If you want to know the story listen to “Mary Did You Know?”  Because it was Mary’s baby boy who made all things new.

 

John Warren is Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church, 502 North 6^th Street in Orange.