2008, December 01: Wandering Through the Christmas Season.

[for the week of Dec. 1 – 7, 2008]

Wandering Through the Christmas Season…

You probably have never heard of Elmer; Elmer Kline. But you know what he did. He managed a bakery over in Indiana and the company had just come up with what, in 1928, was a new product. He was given the job of marketing it and needed to come up with a catchy name. Driving by the Indianapolis Speedway he noticed there was an International Balloon Festival. He stopped and watched. Later, as he wrestled with his marketing task, he described his reaction to watching the launching of those colorful hot-air balloons as “awe and wonderment.” Thus was born “Wonder Bread” and those colorful balloons on the wrapper bear that moment and experience at the Speedway.

Some of us as we wander through the Advent Season of December probably recall the old song, “I wonder as I wander…”   That song may indicate our questions about Christmas… “I wonder…” If so, that’s a revelation of where we’re at with this “Holiday.” Wondering. And that’s OK so long as it’s an honest mile-marker in our journey rather than some kind of cultural, knee-jerk reaction to making sure we don’t hurt somebody’s feelings. It’s a gift that says, “OK, this is where you are. Just don’t stop.” That’s what Advent is for. If, however, you stop there with that wondering you will find that Christmas, eviscerated of its root meaning, will be just another civic occasion. And you’ll find that a Holiday without God soon devolves into nothing more than a Hollow day; just a reminder of something missing. And that hollowness will drive you to wonder about the whole peace and goodwill to everyone stuff

But that old song had nothing to do with wondering about its veracity. When the song was written it used the word “wonder” in its historical denotation: “a cause of astonishment or admiration.” There’s a big difference between wondering about something and being astonished by it. It is the word that captures everything about the angels, shepherds, Mary and Joseph and a whole bunch of others. The good doctor who wrote one of the Gospels used the word “Marveled” at the occasion. As the word went out those who experienced the event, too, were trying to understand it as an exercise in wonder. And they came to see it and write about it as awesome. The human reality, still the same for you and me today, was that they moved from wonder with a small “w” to Wonder with a capital “W.”

The balloons on the Wonder Bread wrapper bear a moment and experience in 1928. The angels, wise men, and shepherds imprinted all over the wrapper of the Christmas Season also bear an awesome moment and experience at Bethlehem. But it covers a different kind of Bread.

Have a wonderful, safe Advent Season and you have been prayed for.