Dr. Gary Alan Dickey

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. There is something about the holiday that brings out mainly the best in people. This transforms Christmas into a real holy day.

As a Christian, I find this time to be theologically, spiritually and personally significant.

It reminds every Christian congregation of the story of God's love made incarnate in the miracle of God's presence as a baby in a faraway spot in the Holy Land called Bethlehem.

It is a story that begins with the hopes and dreams of a young couple seeking to find a place for their first child to be born. It ends with a story of hope for all who embrace its majesty and miracle.

Of course, I, as many others, find little of the true spirit of Christmas in all of the commercialism.

I have found that the miracle of Christmas is discovered as I become closer to family and friends and, even more, become closer to the miracle the church has treasured in Christ's birth for the past 2,000 years. How is it possible that a defenseless little baby could speak a word of hope and salvation to the entire world? Ah, this is the miracle of Christmas.

Yet, the miracle is still around us. As a member of the faith community of our area, and part of the Conejo Valley Interfaith Association, I saw it recently at a meeting of religious leaders — Christian, Jewish and Muslim. Yes, all gathered together for peace in the world. I was impressed with how our host, the Rabbi Ted Riter of Temple Adat Elohim, said to us as we left his synagogue where we met: "Merry Christmas to you all." As I responded, "Happy Holidays" to him (it was the last night of Hanukkah), I realized we were perhaps closer than we thought, despite our different religions, for we had each offered one another a word of blessing to the other.

And so my wish for all this Christmas season is, "May God's gift of love be seen once again in the rebirth of Christ in His followers. I believe the star still shines for all who will look for it, that He may still be found by those who bow at the manger, and that if we pause a moment on Christmas Eve and listen closely we may hear once more the choirs of angels singing glory to God in the highest and peace on Earth with those in whom He is well pleased." May the gift be once more born into our world.

— Dr. Gary Alan Dickey is pastor of the United Methodist Church of Westlake Village, where he has ministered for the past four years. He may be reached at gary@umcwv.org.

He is a member of the Conejo Valley Interfaith Association that meets monthly.