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Highlands Today

The Bittersweet Miracle Gift Of Christmas

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Linda M. Downing

Published: December 25, 2007

On Thanksgiving Day 2007, Bradely Priebe crawled out a window of his parents' apartment three stories above Manhattan's streets. The 14-month-old landed on a roof, not breaking a single bone. His mother, Anna Priebe, said, "It's a miracle."

On Dec. 7, 2007, a New York City window washer named Alcides Moreno, age 37, miraculously survived a 47-story, 125 mph descent that killed his brother. As of Dec. 16, he amazed his doctors by moving his arms and legs and trying to open his eyes. "Fifty percent of people who fall four to five stories die. By the time you reach 10 or 11 stories, just about everyone dies," said Dr. Sheldon Teperman, director of trauma.

Almost everyone has prayed for a miracle. People want to believe, but receivers of divine acts often forget or fail to recognize them. Some remember, ponder the meaning, even prepare themselves for something that may cause angels to applaud and weep. That was the mood on the first Christmas, the bittersweet destiny of a miracle.

The elderly priest Zacharias and his elderly, barren wife Elisabeth reveled in the phenomenon of their 6-month-old son, later called John the Baptist, the prophesied forerunner of Christ. They did not yet know the pain of his beheading.

Two other elderly people in Jerusalem, a devout man named Simeon and a praying woman named Anna, were asking for a supernatural event. They believed they would see the prophesied Redeemer before they died. When Mary and Joseph entered the Temple with baby Jesus, Simeon and Anna joyfully recognized him as "the Lord's Christ" (Luke 2:26). Perhaps they also wailed in sorrow when Herod, attempting to kill this child, ordered the execution of all the children 2 years old and under in nearby Bethlehem, the prophesied birthplace.

Though never hearing the word "Christmas," Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, understood its marvel more than any other because she experienced a God intervention like no other. She had not asked to carry the "Living Word" into mankind's history.

Imagine Mary's inner struggle with this assignment. Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of America's great writers and philosophers, said: "Our chief want in life is someone who will make us do what we can." God knew Mary could do this.

Imagine Mary's shock when Simeon, holding her days' old baby in his arms, looked at her and said: "Behold, this Child is appointed … for a sign that is spoken against, And a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that the secret thoughts and purposes of many hearts may be … disclosed" (Luke 2:34-35 Amplified Bible). This is not what she wanted to hear. It is still hard to connect this with the sweet baby in the manger.

Imagine Mary's puzzlement over these words. What did they mean? Mary's shock becomes our own. Our initial joy over "God becoming man and dwelling among us" confronts the bittersweet truth of decision. Jesus is a sign, a signal from God. Will I speak for or against Him? It is more than painful; it is death to fall upon my own sword, to have my innermost being revealed amidst the decorations and festivities.

Corrie ten Boom, survivor of Hitler's persecutions, said: "Don't worry about what you do not understand … Worry about what you do understand in the Bible but do not live by." Truett Cathy, the founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, is a literalist honoring Sunday as a day of worship by not opening his restaurants. His generous figurative interpretation of "love thy neighbor" is demonstrated by his investments in scholarships, foster homes, and other community services.

Stories of miraculous survival emerged from the ashes of Sept. 11, 2001. Some were proven untrue. All were expressions of hope. Questions haunt survivors, especially, "Why me?" If we could know how many times each of us has escaped injury and death, we too would ask: "Why me? Why am I alive this Christmas?"

Before she said, "It's a miracle," Bradely Priebe's mother probably asked, "Who left the window open?" If he could go back, Alcides Moreno would no doubt have made sure he and his brother were wearing their safety harnesses. Beyond mistakes that cannot be undone, each must recognize or deny a bittersweet miracle that spared a life.

Corrie ten Boom wrestled with risking her life to save others. No doubt Truett Cathy was told his restaurants could not survive if he closed on Sundays. Ten Boom's escape from death and Cathy's meteoric climb to billionaire are spectacles tracing their roots to a stable in Bethlehem. And that is where we all go on Dec. 25. We go past things we do not understand. Like Zacharias and Elisabeth, like Simeon and Anna, like Mary and Joseph, we take joy in the baby we are given and endure the pain of His sacrifice.

Alex, the world's most famous talking bird, died in September 2007 at the age of 31. Recognizing colors and shapes, his vocabulary included more than 100 English words. As his owner put him to bed the night before he died, Alex said: "You be good. See you tomorrow. I love you." A parrot spoke the message of the bittersweet miracle gift of Christmas, the baby born to die who now lives as God in heaven.

Linda M. Downing, a Sebring resident, is a freelance writer, the pastor of Christian Training Church, and creator of the column, "Side-By-Side: Seeking Simple Truth." Contact her at lindadowning@hotmail.com by placing "news column" in the subject line.

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