Some years ago, while reading to my daughter, I came across a description of the December holidays in a children's magazine. The article explained Christmas as a day celebrating the birth of a baby. My daughter looked at me quizzically. The Bible story of Jesus' birth was one that she loved. "A very special baby!" she exclaimed.
One aspect of Jesus' "specialness" is the hope he inspired. Not just the hope that's part of a new beginning, the hope for the future that comes to a loving family with any human birth. But Jesus' birth brought hope to all of humanity, because he ushered in the promise of God's loving, healing power.
In her article "The Cry of Christmas-tide," Mary Baker Eddy explained that Jesus' birth and life serve not only to inspire humanity, but they also make a demand on us. She wrote: "In different ages the divine idea assumes different forms, according to humanity's needs. In this age it assumes, more intelligently than ever before, the form of Christian healing. This is the babe we are to cherish. This is the babe that twines its loving arms about the neck of omnipotence, and calls forth infinite care from His loving heart" (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 370).
