Yesterday Kathy & I were at the Tampa Christian Bookstore in Saint Petersburg to purchase a birthday gift for Kathy’s mother. Since there was a special on, we also looked around for something for our home. We found a Christmas setting of statues (all fixed on a common base) that includes Mary with Jesus on her lap and Joseph standing by. The statue of Joseph is a little less than a foot high. Mary and Joseph both are looking down at Jesus. It is remarkable that once a year the Christian world celebrates this scene and the birth of a baby. As far as I know, this is the only birthday of a child that is celebrated so universally. The image of Mary, Joseph, and the babe sets aside for a glorious season the steady and uninterrupted tribute to worldly power and adult sophistication and focuses on a baby—the essence of humility and vulnerability. Softness and gentleness and new beginnings are recognized in millions of homes making it a special and memorable occasion.
From: Fall Sailing: Poems on Life, Death, and Other Occasions (1972).
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