60-Second Stretch

It was the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001; hurricane Katrina in 2005; the deaths of Osama bin Laden and Steve Jobs in 2011—each acting as a perfect example of the kind of historic events which have marked us in this generation. These events will live on in our mental rewinds: “Do you remember where you were and what you were doing the moment you first learned about....” Interestingly enough, I first heard about the deaths of both bin Laden and Steve Jobs via that little winged electronic messenger we know and love as Twitter. In fact, I've become so accustomed to receiving my “breaking news” via Twitter and Facebook, that I struggle to remember what it was like when we had to depend on printed documents such as newspapers and magazines. Even more perplexing is the thought of having to depend on news spreading via human messengers traveling only at the speed of a horse, one person at a time. Today, the first person to break a story is only separated from the masses of follow-ups by fractions of a second around the globe. Truly remarkable when you stop to think it through. If nothing else, it certainly adds some context to the message of our third and final Christmas angel.

The scene itself is also critical. It makes the perfect mental rewind:

“So me and my buddies were out in the fields watching the sheep. It was a dark, cold night; little moonlight and few visible stars. We could hear the wolves howling in the distance, which added to the creepy factor. Most shepherds didn't work at this time of year. We were the 'lucky ones' I suppose, but it was tough, smelly, long work. And fighting off hungry predators was not our favorite past time. I suppose you could say we were all a little tense. When we looked up and an angel of the Lord was standing near us, I literally thought I was going to die. I've never been so scared in all my life.”

Whether you find”camping in the wilderness” to be peaceful, creepy, or sometimes a little of both, one thing is sure—any unexpected guests would probably scare the pants off you, too. And if that unexpected visitor happens to be from another dimension, well … terrified probably doesn’t even begin to describe how you might feel! Luke 2 says that when the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds “they were absolutely terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news’” (v. 10). Have you ever tried to get the attention of someone who was in a state of hysteria or utter panic? Yea, it was probably like that. The angel had to assure them they were safe and get them to calm down and focus. I'm sure it would have been even worse had I been one of the shepherds.

And that's how the biggest news in the history of all mankind was delivered. Not via Twitter, newspaper, or a horse-bound messenger. It was delivered by heavenly messenger to a bunch of scared, stinky shepherds who rarely ever got to hear the latest news about anything. And what exactly was this message? Simple. “Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord” (v. 11).

In other words, Jesus is here!

No matter what situation you may find yourself in, no matter how dark or depressing the nightly news of your life, God Himself has some Good News for you: Jesus is here! He’s the savior who can deliver you from evil. He’s the Christ who is anointed to give you eternal life. And He is the Lord who will guide you every step of your way if you’ll let him.

That's what I call good news. My honest prayer is that this message will mark you for all eternity.

Christmas Angels, Pt 1
Christmas Angels, Pt 2

Camille Hayton was a long way from home. Born in Australia, she had recently moved to New York City to take an internship with Black Book magazine. While the internship was going well, an apartment fire had forced Camille to do a lot of things differently. For one, it forced her to use the subway a lot more often. And on Sunday, November 4, she was taking the #5 train from Union Station to Bowling Green. During the trip, she journaled in her diary, trying to make sense of how her life had changed. What she didn’t know was that Patrick Moberg was on that same train. And Patrick was smitten.

He was sure that this mysterious brunette with rosy cheeks and fancy braided hair (with a flower in the back left) was the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, Patrick didn’t have the nerve to introduce himself. Before he knew it, she was gone.

But Patrick isn’t a quitter, he’s just shy. So he built a website to help his cause: www.nygirlofmydreams.com. A talented illustrator, Patrick drew a detailed picture of himself and Camille and enlisted the help of eight million New Yorkers to help him find her. Eventually, a friend and coworker at Black Book saw the site and sent Patrick an email with a picture to confirm his suspicions. It was her! The friend then told Camille. Meanwhile, Good Morning America got wind of the story and arranged a meet-up. In Patrick’s words, they “totally clicked.” The next day the two were on the show and ended up dating.

So, what happened to Camille and Patrick? The story is out there, but, as Patrick says, “I loved the idea of people making their own endings to our unusual story.”

The world is full of crazy love stories. But perhaps the most inspiring are the day-to-day acts of love that we have an opportunity to show to those around us. And what better time of year to show love and kindness than during the Christmas season?

May your Christmas be filled with kindness and love—coming and going—and may that love inspire you to do great things in 2012.