It is, as my uncle used to say, a Funny Old World. Believe me, when he said it you could hear the capital letters. He would then pause reflectively and (after a suitable interval) go on: "Makes you wonder, sometimes, what it's all about". Say what you like about eternal verities, but that's not a bad stab at one. I've seen stone tablets with less useful stuff chiselled into them.
So first - Merry Christmas, if that's what you celebrate. Apparently it's a bit politically incorrect to 'presumptively' wish people Merry Christmas, but the way I see it, if someone wished me a Joyful Diwali, or Festival of the Autumn Moon - or Lesser Badger's Day, come to that - I would be grateful for their good wishes - and in no way insulted by any notional implication that I shared their beliefs, so there you go.
If your beliefs about this time of year are purely fictional, then Happy Crimboween or Hogswatch...
Second musing; it struck me again recently that I find the concept of intercession an odd one... that is, the idea that one might pray for a third party such as a saint to, as it were, arrange things on one's behalf, or the notion of praying 'especially' for one group of people rather than another. The word 'especially' seems to crop up a lot in Church of England intercessions, as in "we pray at this time for those who govern our country... especially the royal family/prime minister/etc...". Is this along the same lines as 'charity begins at home', I wonder: 'I don't mind other heads of state getting their quota, but please God, do our lot first. They do queue awfully politely, after all."
And on Christmas Eve I heard a vicar say: "Let us offer our prayers for x... especially [there it is again] in this most sacred month". Which made me wonder... is December the most sacred month? I suppose it's hard for Easter to be a factor, as one's never quite sure which month it's going to be in, but then again, it raises the inevitable question... which is the least sacred month?
I'd vote for February, personally - can't stand it generally, but just as I don't really see why people I know better should get prioritised prayers, so it seems a bit harsh to consign February to relative profanity while trumpeting the sacredness of December.
All in all, it may be a Funny Old World... but it would be a darned sight odder one if I were a vicar, I am forced to conclude.
So although in 2007 you may find yourself wondering, sometimes, what it's all about, I hope the year brings you peace and happiness.
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