Once upon a time there was a man who was involved only with himself, his work, his possessions. He was very cynical and materialistic. All he thought about was his own physical desires and found himself explaining the birth of Jesus in only physical ways. He was very sure of himself, he thought, but the truth was just the opposite.

As time went on this man began to feel his insecurity and lack of peace. He realized he did not really know where he was heading but was trying awfully hard to get there. As he looked at other men he discovered how few knew how to make a heaven here on earth.

And then a strange thing happened. He was introduced to his psychic (spiritual) self which was something that had always been foreign to him. As a result of this he saw himself struggling thru life with only the almighty dollar on his mind. He listened while the wonderful spiritual/psychic nature of man was being used in foolish and non-sensical ways. "Will I get a new automobile? Should I change my job? Who will be elected? Tell me about earthquakes. How can I get more money? etc. and etc." He listened and felt a deep pity for mankind because they were ignoring the true beauty and meaning of the simple birth of a child. His thoughts took him back to when he was too poor to buy all of the things of Christmas. He once again renewed the joy of getting, for a few pennies, empty ice cream cones and putting cotton, colored with food coloring, in them to imitate ice cream so the tree would have some ornaments. He renewed the joy of stringing cranberries and popcorn. He remembered the joy of seeing his children making interlacing loops of colored paper to hang on the tree. And he realized he was anything but poor in creating the spirit and joy and purpose of Christmas.

The lowly birth, the star of Bethlehem, the three wise men all took on a new meaning for him. He finally realized how much man struggles, sweats and swears in sheer exasperation to achieve he knows not what. He little regards the joy of love, love that began in a manger that is still being expressed in every home that shares and lives in the purpose of a birth that began two thousand years ago.

Commercialism, drinking parties, scurrying here and there to buy something that emphasizes the price tag. The simple gift of love that began in a manger and had no price tag is overlooked in the frenzy of the moment.

The richest possession man has is himself and the knowledge why we have been given Christmas and yet he sees only poverty.

Others tell this man he is working with the devil and little realize that the original bed of straw held only one, not two, and he finally knew what Christmas was all about. The man is glad for his psychic awareness because, thru it, he became aware how rich he became thru the avenues of poverty. If a baby on a meagre bed of straw could overcome such poverty and prove the richness of His soul and how it would change the world then Christmas can renew in each of us the magnificent potential of spiritual poverty in order to prove, beyond a doubt, the richness of his soul thru a birth so simple and beautiful it changed the thinking of all mankind.

"But what is poverty?" the man asked himself. After much thought he discovered it is not a lack of money or material things, it is the POVERTY OF THE SOUL THAT KEEPS MAN BOUND yet will he declare otherwise.

here was no thought of poverty in the soul of a babe born in a manger. He KNEW He had riches beyond the understanding of man and He tried to teach of these riches and how they are within the grasp of all people regardless of race, color or creed. Still man will not listen and Christmas, once again, becomes a commercial partying event. And the man is filled with deep pity. He knows that to seek here and there he is depriving himself of the magnificent meaning and beauty and simplicity of the true meaning of Christmas that began when a child was born on a bed of straw. If only man and woman would renew, at Christmas time, the beauty and love expressed in a simple and humble birth they would then rejoice in having each other to share in that original expression of love and poverty and they would discover riches in, and thru, each other and they would discover what Christmas really means.

When the psychic part of this man revealed to him the love and meaning of a birth that created Christmas he found peace.

God Love Ya

Jack