Carpenter’s Corner: Peace and goodwill

Driving down Alpine Boule­vard last night, I was pleasantly surprised to see many businesses adorned with colored Christ­mas lights. It was as if by magic Christmas elves stayed up all night to decorate the gables, fences and windows of many businesses up and down Alpine’s Main Street commercial area. It actually caught me off guard to see such a display of Christmas spirit as I believe I was in the middle of complaining about Al­pine’s increased traffic, lack of community involvement or how difficult it is to back out of park­ing spaces along the boulevard.

Now, in the spirit of all hones­ty, not only can I be a hypocrite but I can also be a holiday Grin­ch. However, today my heart nearly doubled in size as I wit­nessed my community’s effort of honoring the Messiah’s birth. My only wish is that one of our local churches or wealthy resi­dents would purchase a life-size nativity scene to be prominent­ly displayed in our community, possibly in the five-way inter­section at our town’s epicenter.

The thing I like the most about the Christmas season is that people are generally kind­er to one another. It’s like the distinct cinnamon-apple aroma from one of those plug-in room fresheners that just cannot be overlooked or ignored and over­whelms you as you enter a room where one has been installed. It is having an overall positive out­look; the desire to head straight for the bell ringer standing next to the bright red kettle and throw a ten or twenty dollar bill inside as you exit the store.

I love turning on the radio to one of those stations playing twenty-four hours of Christmas music. Then upon hearing some obscure 1940’s rendition of “I want a hippopotamus for Christ­mas” find yourself humming along to it in your car. It is the feeling while grocery shopping that you have to buy a quart of eggnog, cranberry infused Eng­lish Muffins or a box of red and white candy canes as the store is also playing twenty-four hour Christmas music.

Sometimes, I have to admit that the commercialism of Christmas compels me to want to throw a blanket around my head, stand up on stage in the limelight and begin to explain the true meaning of Christmas. In my world or any world “Hap­py Holidays” is not acceptable vernacular to announce the ad­vent of the Messiah’s birth and besides it just feels so good to holler out “Merry Christmas” in a guttural Burl Ives kind of way.

Since Christmas only comes once a year, why not throw out the red carpet for the Messiah? However, since we don’t need to bless our local power company; why not use L.E.D. lights, as ma­ny as you can afford, or splurge by installing that solar photo­voltaic system that you have been putting off purchasing. Also, don’t forget to attend sea­sonal events like a community Christmas parade.

You can invite your family and friends over to make Christmas cookies then give them away to your neighbors. Bundle up in warm winter clothes and host a hay ride, go Christmas caroling or make a batch of hot spiced cider for a friend. Put together care packages, buy blankets, gloves and toiletries for people living out on our streets. The true message of Christmas is more than just exchanging presents, planning a family get-together or attending a church service for the second time in one year.

Christmas is the spirit of giv­ing, goodwill to all men, and an overall feeling of joy as we reflect on the birth of the Christ child.

It is “Emmanuel” or “God with us” a gift from God that no man could ever purchase. It is the simple joyous act of hearing an amazing truth; just as Linus explained it to Charlie Brown on that Christmas Eve so many years ago, it is the Christmas story recorded in the gospel of Luke chapter two verses eight through fourteen.

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And be­hold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the an­gel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”