FAMINE IN BETHLEHEM

Reggie and I were born 6 years apart, so I was always the little kid brother. That continued even after we were grown and when in comparison to him, I was no longer “little.”

Though born to the same parents, we didn’t look much alike, but his imprint was strong upon my life. I liked the cars he liked, the clothes he wore, and we enjoyed the same kind of humor. I was blessed by God with an above average intellect, but Reggie was far superior to me in that area. But in size, my weight began to surpass his when I was in junior high school.

One Christmas memory I think about with a warm smile, involves Reggie and me, his “little” brother. He had recently graduated from high school and I was in the seventh grade.

Our church in New York always had a children’s play at Christmas. Though, written from a different perspective each year, it always included the basic presentation of the Christmas story. One year I was a priest, waiting for the coming of the Messiah, and to this day, I remember that I sang an old hymn, “Day is Dying in the West.” I’m sure this is one of those classics you sing each year (if you have ever heard of it)! The words are powerful, though. The chorus says, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of Thee, Heaven and earth are praising Thee, O Lord, Most High!”

But this particular year, I was a shepherd. You know, the way we picture poor shepherds, wearing burlap sacks with holes cut in them for our heads and arms. I was rather large compared to the other shepherds. Their sacks were loose fitting with little arms sticking out. Mine wasn’t too small, but was filled rather well.

I’m sure I didn’t appreciate Reggie’s comment then, though I have had many laughs about it down through the years. He looked at us and said wryly, “It looks like there has been a famine in Bethlehem.” Then after a pause, he finished, “And Sammy caused it!”