Editorial December 23, 1916 Issue

The True Christmas

Archibald McLellan

Although the twenty-fifth day of December is now annually celebrated by Christian nations the world over as the birthday of Christ Jesus, there is in reality no authentic information as to the precise date of his earthly advent. As a matter of fact it was not until several centuries had elapsed that, as a compromise to the diversity of opinion and custom which hitherto had assigned various dates between Nov. 17 and May 20 as the day of Jesus' nativity, what we know as Christmas day was finally agreed upon by the church authorities as the day to be celebrated.

All this goes to prove that what the world from year to year is celebrating as a religious festival is simply Christendom's own concept of that for which the Founder of Christianity stands in the history of the world. Dating from that first Christmas day, when the three wise men came with joy and thanksgiving to offer their treasures of "gold, and frankincense, and myrrh" to the babe so humbly cradled, Christmas, irrespective of any Christian or religious sense, is at least theoretically associated with ideals of kindness, affection, charity, hospitality, and good cheer. These are Christian virtues, and to the extent to which they are practised at this or any other season the world is helped and made better; but even these do not represent all that Christmas means, nor are they the sum total of Christianity.

On Jan. 2, 1898, in her Communion message to The Mother Church for that year, Mrs. Eddy wrote: "Beloved brethren, another Christmas has come and gone. Has it enabled us to know more of the healing Christ that saves from sickness and sin? Are we still searching diligently to find where the young child lies, and are we satisfied to know that our sense of Truth is not demoralized, finitized, cribbed, or cradled, but has risen to grasp the spiritual idea unenvironed by materiality?" (Miscellany, p. 122.) In these few words our Leader turns our thoughts from the material sense of Christmas, with its barter and exchange, its "mortal, material, sensual giving . . . merriment, mad ambition, rivalry," to the "quietude, humility, benevolence, charity," in which she loved to observe this holiday, letting, as she expressed it, "good will toward man, eloquent silence, prayer, and praise express my conception of Truth's appearing" (Miscellany, p. 262). Mrs. Eddy goes on to explain the difference between "the birth of a human, material, mortal babe" and the coming of the Christ to human consciousness, which is the true Christmas.

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