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] 4--PORT PERRY STAR, THURS. DEC. 19th, 1963 ~ Editorial Viewpoint CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS By Rev. E. S. Linstead, B.A. The glad Christmas season returns and our hearts are softened and warmed by its light, its winsomeness, and its hope. Again we look up from our little tasks, turning from the highly competitive world in which we live, and catch a glimpse of something better and nobler. There came to hand recently this thought provoking statement--"Two thousand years ago Christmas 'happen- ed'. Since then our western world has been trying to keep it once a year. But the agony of our discontents is because we have not kept the spirit of Christmas all the year round." We all know there is great truth in that quotation. Christmas so easily becomes an "observance' or a 'celebration' when it should be the Divine invading "human life and exercising continuous and permanent control over it. « We recall the story of the farm boy who rode to town to see the circus. He had never seen a circus before but his imagination was quickened by the glamorous reports that he had heard. He stood on the street that morning and watched the circus parade go by. It was a thrilling sight with clowns, strange animals, jugglers and other entertainers. But after the parade was over the young lad mounted his horse again and returned home, not realizing that he had only seen the parade and had missed the real circus performance. So there are many who have seen the 'parade' of Christmas but not Christmas itself. They are thrilled by the public displays which attend. the occasion but they have never inquired after the Love which prompted the event nor have they sought to learn anything of its mystery. To discover the 'real' Christmas we must be imita- tors of the Wise Men. We must seek the child Jesus. The real glory and beauty of Christmas cannot be known until we seek after the highest gift of God and the best that this humanity of ours has ever known. If we seek we shall find. That is the assurance of our Lord Himself. But again, when the Wise Men came where the young Child was they worshipped Him. In worship there comes a disclosure of the meaning of Christmas that cannot be gained in any other way. We are told that to enter the grotto, which is the supposed site of the birth of Jesus, men must bow down. It is true everywhere in the world that in order to look upon this Infant men must humble themselves and worship. Also St. Matthew tells us that these men presented unto Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. We need not think this strange. Our nature is such that - we are only open to the Highest as we perform some act of generosity. : Co A minister sought to impress upon his people the meaning of Christmas. He feared that they were not seeing Jesus in the Yuletide celebrations. With the aid of a carpenter he erected in his church the manger scene. When the work was almost complete he returned home to rest, expecting to return to the Church and place in the manger a figure representing the Christ Child. While he was absent from the Church a poor woman bearing an infant sought refuge in the Church. Seeing the manger, she placed her child therein, and wandered away. When minister and people came and discovered the infant they . gaid, "It is a miracle". "This child is given to us and. we must care for him." Well, the Christ Child is given to us and we must care for Him. But the Christ Child in the manger is the symbol of all the children of the world who are given to us to he cherished and cared for. All our Churches are aware that in giving we are able to discover the worth of that supreme Gift. It is still true that in Seeking, Worshipping, and in Giving, Christmas is discovered. Strange we so toil to fashion for our unseen ends The splendors that the tarnish of the world doth mar, When all the lasting glory of our life depends Upon a little Child, a stable, and a star.. "This has the Bicultural Commission Seal of Approval" Port Perry Star Co. Lid. ~~ Serving Port Perry, Brooklin and Surrounding Areas WM. T HARRISON Editor P. HVIDSTEN, Publisher Member of the Ontario Weekly Newspaper Assoc. 'Member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Assoc Published every Thursday by The Port Perry Star Co. Ltd.,, Port Perry, Ontario. Authorized as second clasg mail by the Post Office + Departmerit, Ottawa, and for payment of postage in cash. Subscription Rates: In Canada $2.60 per yr., Elsewhere, $3.00 per yr. Single Copy 7¢ 50 YEARS AGO Wed., Dec. 17th, 1913 The 'T. Eaton Co. of Winni- peg have opened an office which supervises the buying for the factories of Winnipeg. Toronto and Montreal. Mr, Clarence Purdy has been ap- pointed assistant manager in this office. = Manchester--On Sunday, the review services in connection with the - Methodist Sundav - School was conducted by Mr» R. B. Smallman of Port Per:y. * * * © 25 YEARS AGO Thurs., Décember 15th, 1038 Miss Helen Willard enter- tained invited guests at a re- cital at her home on Saturday afternoon. : ) Blackstock -- Mr. and Mr=. Arthur Gibson of Blackstock celebrated their silver wedding .anniversary on Saturday, Dec. 10th. Mr. and Mrs, Charles Brignall and son Charlie of Peterbor- ough were with Mr. and Mrs. John Hayden for the week-end. Mr. William Cawker of OAC Guelph, and Mr. Albert Cawker of Toronto were home for the week-end, * * * 10 YEARS AGO Thurs., December 17th, 1953 'Mr. Martin. Bowles, Mr, Aj- thur Panabaker and Mr. and Mrs. S. Perkins were the win- ners of the I.0.D.E. Christmas draw. i Mr, Gordon Jeffery was in- stalled as Master of Fidelity Lodge, Port Perry. Prince Albert--Myr. and Mrs. B. Wanamaker of Seagrave, visited with Mr. and Mrs, L. Beacock. po Mr. and Mrs, William Peel were wed recently in Prince Albert. The bride is the former Joan Howey. A : > bd Remember When? Sugar and Spice By BILL SMILEY We neuroties of the frantic twentieth century have a genius of sorts. We can take almost anything that is simple, clean and beautiful, and make it complex, sullie and a garish monstrosity. Almost anything, but not quite. We haven't quite ruined Christmas yet. But we have taken a day that was, for our ancestors, a simple observance of the birth of Christ and turned it'into 4 gift-scrambling, card exchang- ing. carol-jangling, tub-thumping several weeks. In the good old days, the good old families rose early en Christmas day and went to church, where the parson gave them a two-hour appetizer. Then they went homie and took a nip of something to take off the chill. While the servants were sweating in ithe kitchen, preparing the vast dinner to come, the gentry took a bite of lunch. Then the ladies set off to distribute #ift< to the poor, while the gentelmen put their coat-tails to the fire and went after that chill agafn. That's your ancestors I'm talking about," Mine were among the people the ladies were taking the food to. 1 can just see them, kicking the pigs under the bed when her ladyship came in, tugging their forelocks, scraping their feet, and' saying, "F'ank yer, Milady, f'ank yer, Mum", as'she pulled from her basket one of the geese that berry brandy that had gone vinegary. ° ' This Christmas ,of course, my ancestors' descendants will eat turkey until they resemble purple pigs, while the descendants of Milady, who have managed to hang onto the manor house only by taking tourists through at a shilling a shot, will dine, in the only room of the big house they can afford to heat, on a small bit of brisket, and brussel sprouts. : However, that's not what I started out to say. Well, despite all the waiting and throwing of hands in the air at the paganism and commercialism of Christmas today, 'had died of disease, and one of last year's bottles of black: I feel that we have failed, somehow. 'We haven't quite managed to ruin Christmas. * % _ I'll. warrant our' children know just'as much, and maybe more, of the story of Christmas, and the coming of the Christ-Child, as théir counter-parts of 100 years ago did. And I'll bet we are not as smug and selfish, despite our much-touted materialism, as our Victorian sreat-grandfathers were. : 3 Witness service clubs scurrying about town with Christmas baskets for those less Es. Witness groups of youngsters singing carols at homes for old people. Witness high school kids selling Christmas cards for UNICEF, to feed little, starving children abroad. So gird up your loins, plunge into your shopping and debt, give for the joy of giving, be happy in the op ily reunion, go to church on Christmas day, stay away from the hard stuff, and don't be a hog with the turkey, and you won't go too far wrong! ie 1. --Toronto Telégram News Service in wy