FROM THE editors December 20, 2004 Issue

A gift worth wrapping

Editor

"And the angel said... Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10–14).

Modern-day Nativity scenes intend reverence for the birth of Jesus and the advent of Christianity. Yet when the baby Jesus is represented by a lifeless doll in a basket of straw, feeling inspired can be a mental stretch. And after the props are stowed, it may be the memories of giggling angels, or the kid who dropped the star, that bring smiles to lips and warmth to hearts. Each year, thoughtful people wrestle with the question: How does the purpose of Jesus' life fit in with the glitter and rustle of paper wrappings? People genuinely eager to serve the Christ try to reconcile it all.

As did Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science. She, too, loved the Christmas story and Christmas, children, and family gatherings. But when it came to recognizing and commemorating the Christ, her vision took her beyond a Bethlehem manger. "In different ages the divine idea assumes different forms," she wrote, "according to humanity's needs. In this age it assumes, more intelligently than ever before, the form of Christian healing. This is the babe we are to cherish. This is the babe that twines its loving arms about the neck of omnipotence, and calls forth infinite care from his loving heart" (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 370).

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