Chrismas Questions

by Gordon Cooper

From Broader View Weekly, December 23, 2010

This special time of year demands a departure from the usual. In that spirit, my brother and I have decided to break from the routine nature of our friendly but spirited debate of current issues and to offer instead our personal thoughts and wishes for the Christmas season.

So, as opposed to the standard fare of offering my opinions about the latest legislation or topic du jour, I decided to challenge you to consider some Christmas Questions.

1. Was there really a record producer somewhere who thought “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” would be a good investment of his time and effort? – And did he really think it would be funny after it was heard the first time?

2. Why do people get offended by the appearance of a Nativity Scene on public property? What are they afraid of?

3. What are children being protected from when the word “Christmas” is removed from public school calendars and assembly programs?

4. What is it about this holiday that inspires so many songs, stories, poems, lectures, sermons, paintings, movies and family traditions?

5. Could it be possible that the reason this day is so unique is because the person whose birth it represents is so unique?

6. What if all the songs about Him are true? What would you do differently if you knew He really was “God with us”?

I hope each of you finds some quiet time during these hectic days to admire a Christmas display, to listen to a child giggle, to read a Christmas story, to sing a Christmas Carol to yourself, to watch Jimmy Stewart or Ebenezer Scrooge “figure it out”, to give a special gift to someone you don’t even know and to say a solemn prayer of gratitude for our great nation.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good and prosperous 2011!