Every year at this particular season, I am amazed all over again at the impact that the old, old story of Christmas has on people. In light of how "fad-conscious" we tend to be in this country, it is a wonder to me that we have not grown weary of this ancient story and the figures of the babe and the manger and the shepherds and all the rest. After 2,000 years of exhaustive repetition, why do you suppose the events of Bethlehem still lay hold of our depths and continue to intrigue us? Is this simply the momentum of a long-established tradition, or is there another secret to this incredible vitality? In my judgment, there is more at work here than "the twitching of the dead hand of the past."

Now, to be sure, the power of tradition is present here, but alongside this, I sense another force…