The Broken Spell at Christmas

 

 

Now it came to pass one snowy Christmas Eve, that Will invited Cate to join him at church where Amelia, his much younger sister, was to shine as an angel. Will and Cate had become close friends as they worked together on High School physics projects. Both were brilliant students who shared a passion for science and perhaps for each other. Cate was more of an independent thinker with a bold openness to new experiences, but she knew she wanted to be a gynaecologist* and already had a university scholarship. Will saw the world in a more conventional way. He was an agreeable and conscientious lad who did not poke holes in the status quo. His parents had paved the way for him to attend a church affiliated college where he would major in physics. Will’s career path was about to change.

 

Will was in a reflective mood as he watched his sister manage her wings with their mother’s help. Logs burned brightly in the fireplace. A crackle got Will’s attention, which drifted to the old stocking hanging from the mantle and that reminded Will of the time he felt humiliated. One Christmas time, many years ago, his good friend Richard had stolen Will’s Christmas childhood when he sowed the seeds of doubt about Santa Claus and his magical worldwide global sleigh ride. “Go figure,” Richard had said.

 

Finally, everyone was ready for the momentous occasion. The church parking lot was full of family members and friends armed with fully charged phones, which would beam images of their progeny bringing joy to the world.

 

William and Cate sat near the back and enjoyed singing Christmas carols. They laughed along with the happy faced parents and proud grands when the children deviated from the familiar nativity story. Then Will’s moment arrived. He turned red. When Cate heard the narrated prophecy about a virgin getting pregnant, she snickered and turned to Will. In a whisper that sounded all too loud, Cate commented “virgins don’t have babies!”

 

Cate’s, scientific worldview wasn’t formed in the womb of church history. She understood DNA and the difference between X and Y chromosomes. To be a boy, Jesus would have an earthly father.

 

Would Will find a way to embrace both a scientific worldview and the miraculous Christmas story? If he gave up the literalism taught to Sunday school children, would he have to give up other unscientific ideas too? Was faith really about believing the unbelievable?

 

As he pondered these things, a pretty little girl angel took a bow and the audience laughed and applauded. Will’s mind, cluttered with fundamentalist residue, rebelled at the notion of a girl angel. Don’t they know biblical angels were all men? As everyone left to embrace the children, slap high fives, and enjoy hot chocolate, Will’s serious mind was itching to conquer an emerging spiritual struggle marked by anxiety. For Will, peace on earth would be delayed until he could bridge the gap between a scientific worldview and the supernatural one offered by his faith community.

*US, gynecologist

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 Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

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