Merry Christmas - Revised

           Saying Merry Christmas

Saying “Merry Christmas” 100 times per year

For 60 years yields nearly 6000 smiles of cheer.

Must we? And, do you have to have it white,

In order for Christmas to feel right.

Nor do we have to have three wise men standing

In awe beside a manger, each one handing

Over costly gifts: frankincense, myrrh, and gold.

Angels are nice, especially when they sing two-fold

Amens and Halleluiahs, announcing the birth

Of the Child, the Messiah, a King on Earth.

But we’ve had Christmases before sans seraph,

And no one reported the loss to the sheriff.

From Kyoto to Berlin, to Oslo or Cape Cod,

Whether Mele Kalikimaka or Feliz Navidad,

 In upscale penthouses or nomadic tents

People observe Kwanzaa, Yule or Holy Innocents.

How do worship traditions become

Organized by the rules of thumb

In families, in communities?

By using theological opportunities.