Matthew 2:18

"Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him [by not returning to tell him where Jesus was. Herod] sent soldiers to kill..."

What goodness can be found in such awful things? Family fights, shopping mall stampedes, world unrest and wars all will continue through the Christmas season, but we should not be surprised: Jesus came to save our fractured world.

Jesus entered a world we recognize as our own. He did it to redeem us from the messes we have brought on ourselves. Phil Ware reminds us that the grit and gore that surrounds Jesus' birth is there to help us know that he came to a world like our own to redeem it.

"Dear Holy Child of God, Many folks pause this time of year to remember My birth. That is a good thing. They rejoice with the angels singing praises....."

"Dear Partner in the Kingdom, People can speak in "God talk" and live in anti-God ways. Unfortunately, Christmas is a time when a lot of that happens...."

Now that the Christmas lights are put away, aren't you ready to meet the real Jesus? The coming of Christ is a violent grace that heads to a violent end and if we listen to the birth stories of Jesus we can find there a real Savior who lived in our all too real world.

"Dear Beloved, The story of My first two years speaks of vulnerability. I was born to a young woman far from home and without friends and family with...."

What gift at Christmas can get you in the most trouble? Rick Brown reminds us about dangerous Christmas gifts for kids and the most dangerous Christmas gift of all, Jesus.

The cycle of violence is heartbreaking — will it ever end? Phil Ware reminds us of the simple, yet powerful words found in the hard story of Jesus' birth and Herod's attempt to murder him at Bethlehem -- But Herod came to an end.

12 days of Christmas are not about calling birds and lords a leaping, but about an extended celebration of Christmas. Phillip Morrison reminds us that the Magi, the Wise Men, came later on after Jesus was older; but rather than this putting a damper on our Christmas, we need to use this truth to extend our Christmas past the first of the year.

Am I more like the wise men who passionately sought to find Jesus or the religious leaders who chose their traditions, positions, and power over Jesus? Phil Ware reminds us that in the familiar story of the wise men is a challenging and life-changing question we must all answer with our choices and with our lives.