Thoughts on Thoughts

Written by Kimberly Hartwell

I know we are now past Christmas and on our way in the beginning of a new year, but I thought I would share this portion of an email from a dear friend of ours, Paul, who is from Uganda, now studying in London. As I read his letter of thoughts on Christmas from a westernized perspective, it makes me sad to think of all that people miss, including us, who can get so wrapped up in all the other things of our Christmas season. I think I would like to spend the month of December in Uganda someday to see their time of celebration of the birth of Christ.

"Dear Friend,
God's peace and blessings to you this time of the year as we celebrate the birth of JC the hope of Glory. I am getting to celebrate chrismas for the first time out of Uganda. Its fun especially for those of us who have a great privelege to know what Chrismas is about.

I see many people all over here running up and down on a shopping spree. Chrismas cards are flying all over- unfortunately some of them with messages, such as HO HO HO (i hear its the sound father chrismas makes), others have messages such as let it snow- you wonder what snow has to do with that quite evening in palestine 2000 years ago when the unexpected happened in the unexpected of places- The King of Kings born in a manger.

It looks like someone somewhere is bent on seperating chrismas from the Birth Of JC as much as possible- strange but true. i am kind of so mad with this fellow they call Santa Claus, to many here, he seems to be the reason for the season. Walking the streets of
Hemel Hempstead (the town where i live), i get this picture of a self obsessed guy with a long beard out to make businesses earn extra money- he has posted pictures of himself all over the place and i understand he is sending out gifts to little children as well as letter- whatever message is contained in there, only God knows! He is dressed in bright red and white colours and looks very huge in stature. I am sure his appearance in my village would send little ones scattering for dear life- but thats the guy who in my opinion is in a way out competing JC as we get to celebrate chrismas. Someone told me the other day that the guy lives in Sweden somewhere and feed on snow- LOL and rendeer milk- gosh!.

According to the news on radio yestarday, a priest got in trouble with parents because during a kids mass in Italy he told the kids that father chrismas doesnt exist. The parents are demanding an apology from the catholic clergy man. How could he say that
to their children? they are questioning!!!!!!!!!!!

Accross from where I am sitting, looking through the window of the flat, right now Santa Claus has just appeared by some coincidence, He is moving door to door, house to house- i wonder what he is delivering. "