Ben was sitting in his favorite chair. Thinking. He was too engrossed to even ask me to unlock the computer, which I would have.
Suddenly he leaped up and smiled broadly.
"I figured something out," he announced.
"What did you figure out?" I was curious.
"That the Lord loves King Herod."
I was speechless.
"He loves him even though King Herod doesn't like Him." He was on the brink of laughing, as if God had pulled one over on Herod.
Ben is a big fan of redemption. Scrooge, the Beast, and the Grinch all change their ways and turn good. Ben reminds us often lest we forget.
But there is no last ditch change of heart in the Christmas story. Herod starts bad and stays bad.
Yet The Lord still loves him.
"How did you figure it out, Ben?" I wondered if he had googled something, or had a late night conversation with Zack.
"I figured it out on my own."
Just like that.
There are still packages under my tree, and sparkling cider in the refrigerator. But somehow I feel like Christmas has already arrived and I don't need anything more.
