Semi-Spiritual Sunday Snippet: Ricky Bobby Style

Given the chance to light the Advent Wreath candle symbolizing love his morning, and as a byproduct, tasked to share what love at Christmas means to us, Talledega Nights kept coming to the fore....

Everyone was ready for a messiah. A king. A military leader. An orator. A philosopher. An emperor. A ruler. A giant man of strength.

What they---what WE---got, was a baby, lying in a manger.

Babies reduce us all to a state of cooing admiration.

We want to be near them.

We want to pat their heads softly.

We want to show our goofiest faces to them.

We want to smell them.

We want to hide ourselves and then reveal with a big “Peek a Boo!”

We want to kiss and tickle their toes.

We want to do zerberts on their bellies to see them smile and laugh

We want to take care of feeding them

We want to keep them safe

We want to tell others—especially the parents---how precious they are.

We want them to know they are loved.

Christmas allows us to focus our love simply and appreciatively toward that one sweet, full-of-promise baby.

Ricky Bobby was on to something.

When I asked He-Twin what love at Christmas means, without hesitation answered far more succinctly, “Everything.”

AMEN.