A Broken Tail Light Leads the Way to the Child

Christmas Star

Carol Forsloff--It was dark, cold; and the traffic on the highways offered no respite for a weary young couple who hoped to find a motel room before the birth of their first child. Every place they stopped, they were turned away; and it seemed there would be no place for them on a winter's night like this.

The magic of holiday time comes alive again in the Christmas town of Natchitoches

Natchitoches, Louisiana Christmas

Carol Forsloff--Do you believe in the wholesome magic that comes with the awe of lights that rival heaven's stars and people at their best?  Then Natchitoches, Louisiana is the place where all that centers, to usher in the holidays for everyone all over the world.

Natchitoches has long been known for its festival at Christmas.  Nothing can compare with the first Saturday in December, when people come from everywhere to join together in the formal opening of the Christmas holidays.  The lights and fireworks of Natchitoches are like nowhere else in this season.  Big cities with major crowds cannot rival this small town's presentation.  People have been known to weep in wonder, to cry with the splendor of the lights, the Christmas carols and the wonderful life that seems to be reflected in everything around.

The evening comes; the fireworks end.  The music is heard echoing off the riverbank as the lights sparkle in the distance, as some folks wearily, but happily, cross from the bridge from the center of town, back into their cars and homes with the memories of holiday best.

Natchitoches is the town of the Steel Magnolias, the location of Uncle Tom's Cabin and the centerpiece of the nation's expansion, as it is the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase that led to the expansion of the United States from a collection of colonies to a nation of states.  It also brings many thousands of people from around the globe to enjoy the magnificent fireworks displays that begin in November and continue through the first week of January every year.

The town has that homey, small-town feel and appearance, as it gets all decked out every year for the holiday season.  This is the time when people of all political persuasions and social dictates gather together to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  People of Natchitoches may have their differences, but in towns like this folks tend to keep those differences manageable, as they live and work together and plan their celebrations in a fashion that keeps the community unified in a single purpose: offering the Christmas magic to one another and to visitors that come from everywhere.

Reflecting on the magic of Christmas in Natchitoches from Hawaii,  the State most distant from it, offers a journalist good memories of a different life experience, of what it is like to live in a small Southern town and enjoy its hospitality.  And for all those who believe in the best in all of us, that type of hospitality is a fitting manner with which to enter the New Year in the coming weeks.

The Christmas story from the Book of Luke offered for interfaithunderstanding

Although historically there are questions regarding the specific date of the birth of Jesus the Christ, most of the world celebrates Christmas somewhere between December 25 and the end of the first week of January.  In many homes the holiday begins on Christmas Eve, the night when the story of the birth is finally unveiled with the proclamations of the mission of Christ.  This selection from the New Testament is one often read during these days, offering for all the key to understanding of the faith of the Christians.

Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to his own town to register.  So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

From prophecy to the message to Joseph of Christ's birth

[caption id="attachment_22016" align="alignleft" width="454"] Christmas story, Part 2[/caption]

The story of the birth of Christ is one that is told in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.  The following passage relates to the message given to Joseph, part of his responsibility and more of the prophecy related about the coming event---the birth of Jesus the Christ, as part of the continuing series of interfaith understanding at this special time.

 

 

 

 

Evidence suggests Jesus was a Gemini, anticipated by astrological signs

[caption id="attachment_21882" align="alignleft" width="300"] Adoration of the Magi[/caption]

Marsha Hunt with Carol Forsloff---Whether it is entirely true or not, some of the historical and astrological evidence reveal Jesus was not born in December but in May. But what is the value of the date of the birth as opposed to the life and death of the man?

Astrology may be bunk to some people, but the ancients believed in its value, and for some it is part of a reasoned approach to learning about one's universe. Some astrologers who have studied history maintain Jesus was born much earlier in the year than December, most likely in May, which is the astrological sign of Gemini.

Astrologer Christine Arens says a more likely date of Jesus birth would be May 29, 7 BC. 

History.com, an Internet website that covers various historical events, tells us  that the early Christians did not know the true date of Jesus' birth but established it near the winter solstice in December in order to blend in with the pagan festivals taking place in Europe. Historical records are sparse on the details, except for the interventions of the Roman Catholic Church that formally established when to celebrate Christmas in December.

According to History.com, the true date of Christ's birth wasn't known to early Christians. In the 4th Century AD, the Roman Catholic Church established the Christmas holidays in December near the winter solstice in order to blend in with pagan Saturnalia festivals observed in Rome and elsewhere in Europe.

Arens says the Bible does offer clues.  For example the Gospels tell us that angels heralded the birth of Jesus to shepherds who were tending their sheep by night. "The sheep indigenous to this region have their mating season from October to December. With a five month gestation period, all of the new lambs would have been born by late May and the shepherds would be in the fields watching their flocks by night to make certain none of the newcomers went astray.

 "What this gives us is a birth date for Jesus sometime in late spring." she says, continuing: "The Roman historian Flavius Josephus writes about the illness and death of Herod, which occurred while a lunar eclipse was visible in Judea on March 13, 3 BC. Since the Bible tells us Herod was very much alive when Jesus was born His birth had to be prior to this date."

 Aren points to another clue from the Bible, that at the time of the birth of Christ Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem to register for their taxes. Ancient Roman records discuss three such calls for taxes that were sent from Rome - in 28 BC, 8 BC and 14 AD. "The 28 BC date is probably too early and the 14 AD date is obviously too late. Most likely, the 8 BC tax call is the one Scripture refers to," Arens said.

Astrologers can also use modern computers to create a star map that shows what the heavens would have looked like from an astrological perspective. They observe that 8 BC was not especially eventful but the following year, 7BC was."Given the distances and communications challenges involved, it's likely that most Jews would have registered for taxes in the year following the call, or in 7 BC when the heavens better explained the events unfolding," she said. 

The three Wise Men who followed a star to Christ's birthplace were likely members of the Zoroastrian religion, who were astrologers. Arens believes the star these Magi followed was not an astronomical phenomenon but a meteor shower, comet or nova, none of which were technically recorded as occurring in December of the year considered by Christians to be the birth of Jesus.
More likely, she tells us, the Magi believed from their own religious influences and practices that there was to be an extremely rare coincidence when the planets line up in the same zodiacal degree. In 1603 Johannes Kepler suggested the Christmas Star could actually have been a conjunction of the two planets, Jupiter and Saturn. Arens agrees with this supposition.


"When the planets involved in the conjunction are the two largest gas giants in the solar system they can light up the night sky spectacularly. This is what Kepler observed in 1603 and what ancient astrologers viewed in 7 BC," she points out.


Arens also tells that archeological evidence confirms the ancient Magi astrologers were competent mathematicians and astronomers who understood the Saros cycle, which identifies the positions of new moons and eclipses and how these positions regularly repeat themselves. The Magi astrologers would have realized that Jerusalem - and the little town of Bethlehem nearby - was the only major urban area in the known world where both the sun and moon would be rising exactly together on the Eastern horizon. It is the reason the wise men traveled to Jerusalem.

"The ancient astrologers would have considered the coinciding of these two cycles to be an event of major significance. Two Roman emperors who claimed to be "divine" said they were born exactly at sunrise. A new moon sunrise birth would be even more significant. "With the new moon on Jerusalem's Eastern horizon it would be seen as bringing the power of the heavens to the physical world of the earth," she says.This fixes the time for Christ's birth on May 29, 7 BC at 5:36 a.m. with the sun, moon and the sign rising on the eastern horizon all at 4 degrees of Gemini. Jupiter and Saturn would be conjoined high up in the eastern sky (the Star in the "East") at 20 degrees of Pisces."Although maybe not the earthly king the Magi were reportedly looking for, with this combination Christ was born to be a great leader - a spiritual teacher and healer - who was destined to serve mankind," Arens concludes.

But as the Christmas season approaches, and these facts and details are revealed and discussed, even as some who don't believe in astrology may repudiate the information, the date of Christ's birth is celebrated by Christians around the world, within a general time period of a few weeks. It remains, however, not the date but the fact of a birth that was predicted and preordained that makes the significance of the birth of a child whose impact on the world has been one of tremendous influence on many generations in the past and those to come. 

 




 

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The joy of a child from the heart of Natchitoches for Christmas

[caption id="attachment_4387" align="alignleft" width="254" caption="Yule goat"][/caption]


Veronica Sturman /Carol Forsloff - Our gift
today is the writing of a young child in Natchitoches, Louisiana who
represents in many ways the abiding love and great joy that comes from
the heart of children every day.



Veronica Sturman is that child,
that gift in Natchitoches, that gift from Natchitoches, whose talent is
here for all the world to see.  For that the editor of this newspaper is
grateful, for it sparkles like a jewel on any page.  For the rest of
people around the world who celebrate the birth of Jesus and the joy of
children, comes this story today:

There is nothing monotonous
about Natchitoches Christmas Festivities. French Creole Plantation tours
add to the diversity of Natchitoches Christmas events. The festival at
Oakland Plantation on Saturday, December 18th, was a blast.

There
was music, refreshments, book signings, crafts and plantation tours. My
favorite activities were dressing Ma-Man dolls and painting Christmas
ornaments.

The National Park Service hosted a Ma-Man doll booth
in memory of Mama Lair, Mrs. Lair LaCour. She is famous in the Cane
River community for her handmade dolls. Adults, teenagers and children
all enjoyed dressing these little stuffed poppets. I dressed one of my
dolls with a square piece of scrap cloth with a diamond cut from the
center. I slipped her head through the diamond hole and fastened a
rubber band around her waist. The dolls come in various shades of brown
and white and have poofy yarn hair. This year the dolls had no faces,
but last year they had facial features including rosy cheeks stitched
on. While making my doll, I enjoyed listening to the choir singing
“Frosty the Snow Man” and “Go Tell it on the Mountain.”

After
dressing a doll, I got to interview Deputy Nancy Drawhorn, Detention
Center Choir director, age 53. She has been working at the sheriff’s
department for four years. She said they have about two to three
performances each week. Deputy Drawhorn also practices with the choir
three times a week. According to Deputy Drawhorn there are 9 people in
the choir but only 6 singers. They also have one guitar player, one
keyboard player, and one drummer. The choir usually performs religious
music but will occasionally do something secular, like “Frosty the Snow
Man.”

The Oakland Plantation Festival was fun for all ages. It
is just one of the French Creole Plantation tours available during
Christmas time. Natchitoches and the Cane River area offer a large
variety of Christmas activities that last over a five or six week

period.