By: Deb Kitchenmaster
Burl Ives sang a song encouraging people to “Have a holly, jolly Christmas. It’s the best time of the year. I don’t know if there’ll be snow, but have a cup of cheer.” Yes. “Have a holly, jolly Christmas. And in case you didn’t hear, oh, by golly have a holly, jolly Christmas this year.” The Illinois born entertainer held within his 300-pound frame a white beard, a chuckle, and the grin of the very best Santa. He released this single in 1965 on Decca Records. The last few weeks this very song is being played over and over in my inside juke box! This is my wish to each of you this Christmas.
Like riding a horse down a steep slope, we need to lean back until we enter the landscape of language to be able to truly have a holly, jolly Christmas this year. What is the oldest language known to man? The oldest ‘written’ language in the world is Sumerian, dating back to around 3500 B.C. The oldest ‘spoken’ language in the world is Hebrew. Hebrew is a pictorial language where each letter is a picture. Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet also has at least one number associated with it. The 22 Hebrew letters, a decade ago, were coined “Hebrew Living” letters to distinguish the reality that each Hebrew letter is a living being inherent in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ). In fact, the name ‘Yeshua’ – ALEF- TAV represents “the Lord of all creation from ALEF (first) to TAV (last). Let’s look at a couple of species from the Lord’s creation — sheep and donkey — and allow them to tell a small portion of their story in reference to Christmas.
On that first Christmas night, the angels appeared to shepherds on a hill near Bethlehem. Alfred Edersheim, the great 19th century Jewish-Christian scholar, wrote in his book THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JESUS THE MESSIAH, that the shepherds and the sheep to which the angels appeared near Bethlehem were no ordinary shepherds and sheep. The sheep were those bound for the temple sacrifices. The shepherds were outcasts because of their necessary isolation from religious ordinances. And their manner of life rendered legal observances unlikely, if not absolutely impossible. How wonderful that in God’s wisdom and love the angels should appear to them, the doomed and the outcast that night!
Today we can declare to the world that the Good Shepherd cares for all people and wants to give them peace. Breaking 400 years of silence, Christ came on that first Christmas for one great purpose – to die on the cross for our sins. Now God offers forgiveness, inner peace, and eternal life to all who will repent and BELIEVE in His Son. This is the Christmas message in Luke 2:8-10.
One morning, just awakening from a restful sleep, I hear “baaaaaa.” Outside my window I have heard the sounds of horses, dogs, cats, coyotes, and a donkey’s bray but never ‘baaaaaaa.’ It took me a while before I realized there was not a lamb in my yard. However, this “BAAAAAAA” held a message for me; “When you don’t know what to do or how to pray simply “BAAAAAAAA” — Believe Abide Agree Accept Acknowledge Allow Align Ask Awake.
The donkey is a separate animal member of the horse family. A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. A donkey is recognized in the Nativity, and a donkey is being ridden by Jesus that day He rode into Jerusalem before laying His life down for us. The donkey symbolizes stability and sturdiness. The donkey is known for its patience and kind-hearted nature. The presence of this highly intelligent creature offers a long list of helpful meanings that can make our journey light and easy.
From a sheep’s “baaaaaaa”
From a donkey’s “neehaw”
From my heart to yours,
Have yourself a very Merry
Christmas.
Your NEIGHbor,
Deb Kitchenmaster
horsinaround188@gmail.com
