When I was a boy, we lived in New York City. We weren’t poor exactly, but we lived in a rented lower flat on a dead end street in Queens, surrounded by a marshland that was used as a city dump. (Nowadays we’d call it a landfill.)

Our family tradition for Christmas was that, on Christmas Eve, my grandparents would come over, and with my parents, they would set up the tree and decorate it. My younger brother (and later, baby sister) and I would have to play in our room until the adults were done. Finally, we would hear the tinkling sound of a little china bell, the signal that “Santa” had come and that all was ready. We’d enter the living room with its linoleum floor, and find it transformed into a wonderland with the tree, lights, ornaments, and brightly wrapped gifts.

Now, with few exceptions, I don’t remember any of those gifts. But what I see when I look back on those days is the wonder of an ordinary room made over by the love and labor of my family. The worn, green linoleum floor and the dull, dark painted walls disappeared, as the dazzling lights drew all my attention.

One night, a long time ago, some shepherds were settling down for the evening out in the field with the flock they were tending. It was dark, the sheep were just shadowy clumps on the ground; everything in sight was some shade of gray.

Then suddenly, there was light, brilliant light, the whole sky transformed into something new, something awesome. Voices spoke to them, announcing love come down, and all at once their lives were changed, their perspective altered by a brand new reality.

After the shepherds made the trek into town to view the Source, the Maker of that light, they returned to the fields and their responsibilities. We hear nothing more about them after that. But I can imagine each one reliving that night in his mind, sharing the story with his family, and reflecting on the meaning of it all for the remainder of his life.

Christ came down at Christmas. Love came down at Christmas. The drab, ordinary hopelessness of this life has been made into a life of peace and hope and love. Now we wait, once again, in eager anticipation for that day when Christ will come again.