The Heart

By Andy Ferguson

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In our family, we have a treasured recipe for making fruit pies; it was written down by my sister-in-law, Rachel. It lays out piemaking in three sections: “The Crust,” “The Filling,” and “The Heart.” Ten years ago, I decided that there were not enough pies made, so I asked Rachel to teach me. This recipe was her gift. Occasionally, we make pies together. We talk about the task, of course. We talk about rolling the piecrust just so. At some point, Rachel will ask me who I’m thinking about as we are making pie. Are they worried? Are they going through a hard time? How am I grateful for them? What happiness am I hoping this pie will give them? She asks me about my love for them… as we make pie. The heart is our extra ingredient in every pie.

This year, I updated the family recipe for our grandchildren. Yesterday, we FaceTimed many times: when they were at the grocery, when they were making piecrust, and to answer a crucial question: “Salted butter or unsalted?” It occurred to me that just getting the steps in the recipe right was only half the pie. I know who their pies are for, and I know the love that motivates them to make the perfect pie for the family.

When the angels were preparing their songs of joy for the first Christmas, I imagine that they worried about the details: where to stand, how fast to fly, and how loudly they should shout to the shepherds. I can imagine God slipping into the Choir Room of Heaven and catching them fussing over their notes and the details. When God had heard enough, he raised a hand to get their attention. “Get Christmas right, of course. But, more: tell the world how much I care for them. Tell them I see their hard times. Tell them that tonight I am bringing joy. Tell them, ‘Your God loves you dearly.’”

For too long, we have assumed that a life of faith is living by rules that we might not even know yet. The gift of the Christ Child on Christmas shows God’s heart – and ours. On Christmas, God tore open the skies to shout out that God loves us profoundly, and joyfully.