Faithbase

I love this time of the year because we play some very heartwarming songs. And there is one in particular that just popped in my mind today. I used to sing it when I was about five years old. And I know that somewhere I have a recording of it that my father actually did. And I gotta find it. I gotta find it because it's beyond heartwarming. It's almost heart-wrenching. Just imagine a five-year-old that is singing a song imploring Jesus to come and visit him as a Christmas request. Never mind the gift. And that was truly my heart as I was singing that song with truly tears from my heart. And let me share the lyrics with you while you hear the rendering from Andrea Bocelli. And then we're going to comment. A simple song with a very profound meaning. First of all, let me state one thing. That growing up in Italy at Christmas, we actually used to write letters to baby Jesus. And in the letter, obviously, we put in the request for gifts. And I remember doing this between the age of six to nine. When one night, actually, I saw my father the night before Christmas. I saw my father hiding away an electric train that I requested in my letter. So there went, sadly, the mystery at age nine. And I say sadly because we seem to set up our kids for failure. Whether it is writing a letter to baby Jesus, which is absurd because 2,000 years already went by. Or even worse yet, some enigmatic figure that shows up once a year from the North Pole to bring gifts to the entire world overnight. Why do we buy into a lie? Probably because it's fun, it's exotic. And then we even pass it on. I don't want to make it a spoiler. But wouldn't it be easier to say that mom and dad, in the spirit of Christmas, when the Magi brought gifts to the newborn king of kings, Jesus, they care so much for their own kids to gift them with something? That way, we wouldn't appear as liars, nor will we set something up that one day will be dismantled. And perhaps with that, the very image of Jesus may appear as a fairy tale. I think it's fairly clever of the enemy to do this, don't you think? Yeah, teach the little ones about Jesus being born in a manger. And also Santa Claus bringing gifts. And then, oops, Santa Claus is a fiction figure that is relating to some saint benefactor of 1,800 years ago. And the kid probably will wonder, then what about Jesus? Is he too a fiction figure? Anyways, I think it's enough of this. But let me go back to the song because it has some very good points to ponder upon. So the kid is basically voicing his condition. My heart is putting out because my father is poor. I do not have any toys, nor can my father afford them. But I will be happy if you leave heaven and come. Come and play with me. We will have fun together without toys, gets me. Boy, the simple heart and faith of a child that would be ecstatic just with the presence of Jesus playing with him. How far have we gotten from just give me Jesus? Nowadays, give me everything but Jesus. The beauty of this child's request, though, is that Jesus did come. He did leave heaven and emptied himself, as I discussed in the last video. If you haven't seen it, check it out. And though his physical presence left the earth, his spiritual presence is still dwelling in us if we continue to cultivate it. So I leave you with one final question. If you were to write a letter to grown-up Jesus, not baby Jesus, what would be your request? Guys and gals, have a blessed Christmas as you honor his coming to earth. Ciao.