I’m sure we have all received Christmas gifts we will never forget. For Mary and Joseph, many can guess what theirs would have been. I know, Christ didn’t really come on Christmas (that is, on December 25th), however, for many of us, since that sacred night, we do think of Him as the best Christmas gift of all. Ironically my only son was born on Christmas day, and coincidently (or perhaps not), although his name (Joshua) was chosen months before his birth, his name is the Hebrew version of Jesus. What an amazing Christmas gift he was (and continues to be) for those who know him.
Today, as I was scanning through Christmas-themed newspapers, an event caught my eye which I would also classify as one of the top 5 Christmas gifts of all time – at least for those residing in America. On March 27, 1777, THE LONDON CHRONICLE [1] printed a report of Washington’s crossing of the Delaware [2] on Christmas Day, 1776, and the ensuing surprise attack upon the British & Hessian garrison on the banks of Trenton, New Jersey. Washington took almost 1000 prisoners while suffering only 6 casualties. This victory was a major morale booster for the revolutionary cause and began a string of American successes against the British which would culminate with the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown and the signing of a treaty of peace shortly thereafter. Truth, Justice and the American Way… Merry Christmas to all!!!