a blog by Keelan Cook
In just a few hours I will be hitting the road for Tennessee. This morning, the local news in Raleigh said the security line at the airport was so long it went outside the building and around the corner. It is Christmastime, and that means it is time to head home for the holidays. Going…
Continue reading ➞ I’ll Be Home for Christmas, But Many Will Not
The following is an excerpt from a previous post. Have you ever noticed that Luke’s telling of Jesus’ birth gets all the face time during Christmas? We always quote the Luke narrative in Christmas pageants and television specials. Why is that? Perhaps its because Matthew’s version gets a little gory. Hundreds of babies are slaughtered in an attempt…
Continue reading ➞ From the Archives: The Audacity of Christmas
I had a lot of time to think yesterday. I did not go home for Christmas. As all of my friends here in Wake Forest were packing up and heading out to see loved ones, friends, and family for the holidays, I stayed behind, waving as they drove away. On Christmas Eve I took my…
About six months ago, I was given a turtle. It was a regular, garden variety turtle. This turtle had no special talents or abilities. It had no value, except that it was a gift. It was given to me by a man with whom I have developed a significant friendship this past year. Let us…
I believe people mean well enough, when it comes to gift-giving that is. However, it is ritual in America, especially around Christmas time. No longer is gift-giving a nice gesture. Instead, the tradition has become an obligation during this season of the year. It seems to me this shift in the essence of gift-giving has…
It started while I was thinking of gift ideas for my friends here. As I mentioned in my last post, very few people here celebrate Christmas, but there is a handful of people for which I am shopping. Several of them are locals, and let me tell you something. If you think shopping for that…
For some, it is that first Christmas song they hear on the radio. For others, it is the unpacking of trunks full or ornaments, lights and memories as you prepare to set up your tree. For many, it is seeing all of the Christmas merchandise hit the store shelves around early August (it gets earlier…
The Peoples Next Door 