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Christmas or Xmas: Ps n Qs

I hope this will be a bit of a mix of message and humour, at least I hope it works thatway. We all, hopefully, know the context of the term Ps and Qs as sociallyappropriate forms of behaviour.

To start at the last first, the letter Q, this part is more about Queues rather than Qwords. Most of us know the Xmas queue it is one of the most avoided bits of thethree weeks leading up to December 25 th. It isnt just shopping where we queue iseven there before we get to the shops, we even queue to park in many places. Myolder son was flabbergasted this year when he got all his shopping done in less thantwo hours and had no problems finding parking.

What about the queues at Christmas? Well history tells us that at the time of Jesusbirth there was a census being taken right through the region where He was going tobe born. Both the historical record, via a Jewish historian , and the accounts in theGospels agree: Jesus was born in a period of high people movement. S o thequeues during the original Christmas would have been for accommodation and foodand the persons registration at the Census taker. The birth of a baby excited only a

few people around Bethlehem and apart from nobility from afar the only ones whoheard the news were some shepherds out guarding the sheep; people of no rank tovisit a King of the highest rank.

The Ps of Xmas

Rather than make this an exhaustive list, I plan to select three Ps from bothcelebrations. For the Xmas side of the occasion the y are Position, Present, andPrice without attempting to appear cynical they seem to represent the standoutelements that characterise the season.

Position may be first in order before the others because the position you occupyenables you to purchase the present at a price commensurate with you position, andalso your familial position will often dictate the gift you receive and where you sit at

the table.

Present is a thing that starts to stir the imagination of retailers up to 3 months outfrom December when plans are laid for what people will buy for December 25. As thejingles build up so the fire increases in customers considerations and thought turn tothe gifts to buy for family, and those who are special to the customer. Finally as theevidence that Xmas has arrived, usually heralded by that larger than life SantaClaus in stores the recipients of our love and affection begin to wonder what Santawill bring.

Price, finally, is the measure by which we gauge our capacity to express that loveand affection that seems to flow over the last week of December. I heard a commenton the news recently where parents were expected to spend around $300.00 per

child this Xmas.

The Ps of Christmas

The three Ps of Christmas are Peace, Providence, and Patience. They tend tohark back to that original event.

Peace, was an historic characteristic of the period, due to the Roman Legion havingsubjugated the area, mostly, and by the descriptions of the event it also was peacefilled.

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Providence, is related to the seeming poor timing on Gods part, but the fact is thatHe missed nothing. Had Jesus birth been any time , other that at the time of thecensus, the childs birth may have been more significant . He was born in the middleof a human maelstrom where there is no room anywhere except a stable that theFather provided.

Patience, again is a characteristic of God. Jesus birth was not rushed, it wasthoroughly thought out and as Paul put it

But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son

obeyed the Law, so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God's children.

Gal 4.4,5

For me this is the most special difference, Christmas is about God acting on ourbehalf by introducing Jesus into our environmen t, but with Xmas we have beguntrying to turn a God event into a celebration without Gods Son .