Christmas: Then and Now

Jon R. Roebuck. Macon, Georgia: Nurturing Faith Inc., 2014. 198 pp. (Paperback).

Although I never tire of the story of the first Christmas, it is nice to see the story and the message through a different lens. “Christmas: Then and Now” was written by a pastor who felt challenged to “make the message of Christmas relevant, new and exciting, season after season,” so he started writing stories that told the truths of the reason for Jesus’ birth in a different way. The “then and now” part comes from the settings of the stories: about half are set in ancient times, while the rest are told from a modern perspective. 

Examples of some of the stories set in biblical times are: an old carpenter who discovers his mark on a manger where a special child lay, a handmade oil lamp that dispelled the darkness in the stable, and two angels who were sent to announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. Some of the more modern stories are: a little girl who breaks a piece of her family’s nativity set, a man who loses his job, and a young boy who is banished from his class Christmas party. 

All of the stories are engaging and interesting, and all have a clear message about Christ’s birth. I think my favorite part though, is the final paragraph in each one, where the author turns from the story to the reader and draws us in with encouraging words. Here’s a sample: “I don’t know what the past year has been like for you. Probably some pain, some heartache, maybe some joy. I do know this — that through it all, God was with you and will continue to be. That’s the message of Christmas.”