Prairie Musings

Noel No quiet child whose cradle gently sways promising peaceful dreams for all who love him. He rocks the stable with Magnificats . He scatters the proud. He helps the lowly rise. His sword cuts through the adamants of deceit. His cry unsettles the victimizers and the crucifiers and all the extortionate predators of his kin. And Herod will not be the only one to try to stop his mouth.

The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight (Matt 3:3b). Bake cookies. Make a list. Shop for presents. Check for free shipping deals online. Shop for presents. Hide presents. Wrap presents. Bake more cookies. Address cards. Make travel plans. Hang the wreath. Hang the Christmas lights. Make candy. Buy a tree. Decorate the tree. Buy last-minute presents. Go the grocery. Go back to the grocery for the things you forgot. Fill the stockings. Watch the Hallmark channel—or maybe Die Hard …. This is how we prepare for Christmas. I googled “Christmas Checklist” and I got 105 million—that’s right, 105 million , results. These lists have names like Christmas Countdown Checklist, 150 Ways to Prepare for Christmas, and The Ultimate Christmas Checklist .   Many of these claim the preparation needs to start as early as August. We have turned this holy season of God’s incarnation into an orgy of consumerism, a hectic hamster wheel of...