"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" ( a guest post by my husband, Mike,a retired United Methodist pastor)

Read Matthew 2:6-18

I like Christmas music, carols as well as "sounds of the season." One from the latter category that I always enjoy comes from the late Andy Williams: "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." The lively, upbeat song highlights many of the things that bring joy to us at Christmas. You can hardly suppress a smile upon hearing it, even if you are having a "Blue Christmas" days as "The King" would have put it.

From October onward we gear up for this most wonderful time. The music, of course, as I have implied plays a major role, as do decorations, shopping, parties, special programs, parties, family get-togethers, etc. It almost seems un-American, if not un-Christian, not to feel that this really is
"the most wonderful time of the year."

Most of us know the familiar "Christmas Story" parts of which appear in the gospels, Matthew and Luke. While the joy experienced in the stories of Jesus' birth differs from the sentiments sung by Andy Williams, it is still there. However, that does not constitute everything recorded in the events surrounding the birth of Jesus.

In Matthew 2:16-18 which we tend to skip over for the most part, we have a downright horrible story. In a fit of anger at having been deceived by the wise men who did not return to tell him the whereabouts of Joseph, Mary and Jesus, the king ordered the slaughter of all children in and around Bethlehem who were two and under. The story ends with words from Jeremiah, "A voice was read in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled because they are no more."

Talk about "pouring cold water" on "the most wonderful time of the year," this story does just that. Why did such a terrible story make it into the Bible? Who needs such a downer while we are in the midst of a time of celebration?

I will mention only one possible reason why the story remains timely for us. While most people enjoy
"this most wonderful time of the year," others struggle for variety of reasons: illness, loss of a loved one, broken relationships, unemployment, addictions, disappointments and the like. Such people do not experience the joy. Instead they feel full of pain, remorse, guilt and more. The carols and "sounds of the season" that bring comfort to us, either pass by them like so much noise or even worse open old or more recent wounds.

Keep that thought in mind as you move through these days. Be alert for those for whom this might not be "the most wonderful time of the year." Pray for them, speak words of comfort if you can, simply listen to them or give them a hug.