Profound and Sometimes Preposterous Ponderings of Pete

A friend of mine who is on the worship team at church said something to the congregation with which I agreed and yet wanted to further expound. She said that she did not like most of the Christmas songs.  I agree. After I became Christian, the bulk of the songs seemed superficial and very unchristian.  They seemed that way because they are.  So it put me off to all Christmas music for a while.  The veneration of only the season and the traditional icons of the season was just wrong. Then I started listening to the Christmas hymns which I liked the best anyhow, and I saw the joy in them again.  As with many hymns, the 3rd and 4th verses hold the meat.  Let me show you: Hark The Herald Angels Sing Hail! the heav'n born Prince of peace! Hail! the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, Risen with healing in his wings Mild he lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die: Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. Hark! the herald an

I can't resolve this. Maybe one of you can. I have been to the Philppines and I have seen real poverty. Not American poverty but real poverty. It is the Chistmas season and I am beside myself. How can I eat drink and be merry when I know that children are scarring their hands by pulling nails from planks so that their families can eat today. Or that 13 + year old girls are being sent to the big cities to become prostitures so that their families can eat.  Or that many of those girls become so addicted to drugs that they get pregnant, give birth, and their babies starve to death. Merry Christmas!? I know that in Matthew 26:11 Jesus that we will always have the poor with us but that was in context with explaining to his disciples that his time here would be short. How do I reconcile any of this? I have met these people. I have preached to these people. I have touched and been touched by them. Again, Merry Christmas?! Jesus Christ, being God, became one of us (see Phil 2:5-11)to take