'Tis the Season...

The photo at right is a still image from the new movie, The Nativity Story, which I haven't seen yet, but intend to this weekend. From what I've read it is a pretty faithful account of the birth of Jesus, as told in the Gospels. I can hardly wait to see it for myself.
I've been thinking about the season and the yearly controversy over whether retailers should greet us with "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." To me, it's not such a big deal because it is a season of several holidays. For me, it's Merry Christmas, thank you.
I love Christmas. There is no denying that something about this season brings out the best in many people.
Oh, sure, there are a few "Scrooges" around, and curmudgeons. There are also people who, through no fault of their own, suffer profound depression at this time of year as it often emphasizes and/or magnifies a loss they've suffered. I feel for them, deeply, and pray for their healing whenever I encounter them. But for the most part this is, as I said before, a season that brings with it much good.
Why is that? I have many extended family members, in my family and through marriage, who don't have a clue who Jesus really is and, frankly don't want to know. But even the ones who most hostile to any mention of God or Jesus find themselves almost inexplicably drawn to acts of generosity and kindness. They find themselves being more patient and kind and so excited for Christmas day, when they can see if they've guessed right and blessed their loved ones with "just the right gift."
Could it be that we are all responding to the spiritual shock waves of the greatest gift ever given, around 2000 years ago? Could it be that the God of the universe, in giving His only Son created such a splash in the time/space continuum that the ripples lift us each year to a higher than normal awareness of the Spirit of giving that emanates from that gift? For it was indeed a magnificent gift, and one that was given by God the Father, Jesus Himself, and the Holy Spirit. A three-fold expression of the ultimate gift by the triune God simply has to have ramifications, don't you think?
I don't really have any answers to this quandary, but I love to think about the mental picture it gives me, an image of huge ocean waves of grace, mercy, kindness, generosity, and love washing through the universe, lifting the the cork of earth upon which we sit and, just for a moment, allowing nearly everyone to experience the joy of giving for the sake of giving.
Merry Christmas, and God bless us, every one!