Every one of her ten visits to Bethlehem over the past ten years has brought new insights into the nativity, says contributor Olene Carroll, author of "Humility fit for a king" (p. 10). "I've stepped into the cave said to have been Jesus' birthplace stood on the hills and in the valleys where shepherds still watch their sheep," she relates. "There's always something new to learn." Olene and her husband, Paul, live in Clayton, California, where she holds Bible study classes and plans her next trips to the Holy Land.
Writing for our cover feature (p. 42) took Christian Science practitioner and teacher Allison W. Phinney, Jr., back to his childhood. "Although the healing mentioned in the article didn't actually happen at Christmastime," he says, "it had a childlike awe and innocence about it. I remember one Christmas when I was a child, looking at the lighted tree, thinking "I don't want this time to ever end.' It never does. The Christ keeps showing us the real way things are—God's way—so that we find more and more of the spirit of Christmas."
"I'll get on that right away," she told us. "Right away" seems to be Marta Greenwood's self-imposed deadline any time we ask her to contribute an article. In her editorial (p. 56), she talks about the spiritual premise for rebuilding and the sure foundation for all our constructive efforts. We won't tell you here what the foundation for this rebuilding is. But here's one hint: Think Christmas.
