The Sudbrock Scoop

Christmas Fairy Tales

What comes to mind when someone mentions Christmas in your house? If you lived in eastern Germany, you might think about gifts, cookies, candles and family gatherings. The Christmas Season here in Wittenberg looks almost identical to the Christmases that I remember from growing up in Ohio. The Christmas lights, almost all white, are glowing in the windows and on the houses. Gingerbread and cookies can be found in all the stores and bakeries. Roasted nuts and hot mulled juices can be purchased at the outdoor markets. It all looks joyful, but be careful that you don't buy into the counterfeit! Only 23% of the east German people even believe that God exists. Less than half of those will attend church this Christmas. You won't find the life-size nativity scene like the one our neighbors used to put out each year, nor will you hear the Christmas Carolers. When I ask Wittenbergers what Christmas is and why they celebrate, they often reply that it is the celebration of the family. It is a time at the end of the year to get together with family and friends and celebrate another year gone by. Another frequent reply is that it is a Fairy Tale time of year when magic is in the air. Hansel and Gretel is playing in all of the theaters in town. Local parks are turned into Fairy Tale forests with of the familiar Hans Christian Anderson and Grimm Brother stories represented. You can even spend the evening in the woods with a white bearded elf who will tell you many of the old classics and possibly a few new ones of his own.

Every year, we emphasize the celebration of Christ's birth both at home and at church and try desperately to be a curious light amongst all of the counterfeit. This year is no different in that respect. However, the dark somehow seems darker and the counterfeit more overbearing. Samantha won a coloring contest at the Christmas Market this year and we were invited to an awards ceremony there. Before handing out the prizes, a kindergarten group presented their Christmas program on the platform. What to our wondering eyes should appear - three witches! Oh the magic of Christmas! Somehow I had never thought of "Christmas Magic" as being witchcraft, but here they were, the three witches of Christmas stirring up Christmas cookies and sprinkling gold dust. How awful! To any Wittenberger, this is just expected. Afterall, this is the season of Fairy Tales and Magic. To follow through with the "theme" of the season, the elementary school will be focusing on fairy tales all month. I was shocked to hear that in Skyler's fourth grade class, the story of David and Goliath was presented to the class alongside of Snowwhite and the Golden Goose as a fairy tale classic. At the same time, I was proud of my son who stood up and shared with the class that it is actually a true story and that they could read more about it in the Bible!

"The Greatest Christmas Gift" will be the theme of our Christmas program this year, presenting the contrast between the real Christmas and the accepted counterfeit Please pray for us as we strive to be a true light in the prevailing darkness.