"Embracing the Significance of Christmas"
by JC Bowman
My dad was straightforward, unburdened by the complexities of grace and refinement. He was a bona fide tough man. I can recall seeing him cry only twice: once when his mother died and once when I told him I had joined the Marine Corps. He never hesitated to share his opinions on issues that interested him.
When someone exits our lives due to relocation, separation, divorce, or even death, we often freeze that person in our minds. For example, as a former teacher, when I encounter my old students, they still call me “Coach” or Mr. Bowman.
I remember them as they were, but now I see them for who they have become. As we grow older, we must allow our perceptions to evolve as we reflect on the people and experiences that have influenced us, often without having the complete picture.
While we celebrated the concept of Santa Claus growing up, our primary focus was on the season as a celebration of the miracle of Jesus Christ's birth. My dad and several of his brothers played the role of Santa Claus during holiday festivities. My Uncle Ed portrayed Santa for the city of Baltimore, while my dad donned the suit for the United States Navy at an orphanage in Korea. One year, a little girl asked Santa for a father, which affected him so deeply that he never portrayed Santa again.
One time, my dad decided that our family would be the only ones in the neighborhood to decorate our house with holiday lights. Although we weren't quite at the level of Clark Griswold from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” we weren't far off. Our house lit up the neighborhood, and soon, other neighbors joined in with their decorations. While my dad admired his work on the Christmas lights, he noticed a gap in the large window in front of our house.
My dad disappeared into the utility room and retrieved some lumber. On our carport, in the cold, he began measuring, cutting, and crafting something. My brother and I watched, uncertain of what it would be. He painted the ends and wrapped them in thick aluminum foil, wiring lights around them. He had created a perfect cross. The remarkable thing was that we were not a particularly religious family, yet he wanted an illuminated cross to shine through the darkness for all to see. It stood at the center of our house. The message wasn’t lost on me.
At Christmas, we reflect on a baby in a manger—a simple trough where livestock would feed, where the Savior of the World rested as a newborn. It’s an incredible story to ponder. From a teenage girl in one of the most unassuming small towns with modest accommodations, Jesus Christ was born. He was laid to rest each night in the humblest of cradles. However, we are reminded that His death, not only His birth, truly changed the world. That’s why my dad focused on the cross to proclaim our faith.
While many overlook the faith aspect of the holiday, it remains central to the season. We should take the time to discuss the importance of faith in our lives and share stories and traditions with family and friends, lest those stories be lost. As children, we still expected a white-bearded man to bring gifts between Christmas Eve and Christmas morning to reward our good behavior.
After the Christmas with the lights, we began emphasizing things of greater importance and eternal value. Unbeknownst to us then, I discovered that my dad had also been purchasing hams for people every Christmas—those who had influenced him or who he knew were less fortunate. He did this in secret, and my brother and I only discovered the truth when he enlisted our help, unable to manage it alone as he faced death. In his way, he sought to spread cheer to his family, friends, and neighbors.
Even for non-believers, the core elements of Christmas—being good, spreading love and kindness, and giving selflessly to others—are traits worth imitating. We must pass on those values to the next generation. I learned those values as I grew up here in Tennessee.
Merry Christmas to all. And God bless us, everyone.
JC Bowman is the Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, a non-partisan teacher association headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author and the association are properly cited.
