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6A – Daily News – Tuesday, December 14, 2010 Opinion D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer’s home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. 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How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Christmas is on its way and what ought to be a holy day of peace and goodwill toward men and women is again an object of controversy. What is Christmas really? Let’s start with St. Nicholas – Santa Claus to most Americans. He is a real historical figure, although I doubt he rumbles around with a bottle of Coca Cola and a cookie in hand. Nicholas was a Christian leader – a bishop – in the city of Myra, Turkey. He served the Kingdom of God on earth in the early part of the Fourth Century and was an influ- encer of the earliest unified formulations of the Christian Faith, as those were prayed and agreed at the Council of Nicea. Nicholas was imprisoned and tortured for his faith, although he survived the experience. He had a comfort- able income and his habit was to go out at night and leave money in the shoes of chil- dren – they were left on win- dow ledges in that culture – and this is the origin of the tradition that St. Nick brings gifts on Christmas Eve. Where does a man get this sort of selflessness – given that we think we live in a world grounded in a survival- of-the-fittest ethic? How does he manage to have a good life – aside from the imprisonment and torture of a season – living like that? How does he manage to main- Christmas is... tain the attitude of loving after the torture? Nicholas maintained to the end of his life that he man- ages it only because he is giv- ing what he has received from the still living Son of the Liv- ing God. We are not talking about a good example enlightening his life, but a living presence that infuses his life and makes his lifestyle a doable thing. Jesus Himself – by the only accounts available – was born in a structure intended for animal habitation because there was an unusually large number of visitors to Jerusalem at the time and inn- space was not available. His parents were not pros- perous, but neither were they destitute; there simply was no room available other than the manger. Some speculate that He was not born in Bethlehem at all, but the written accounts of the period – without excep- tion and written by people who knew Him while He walked the earth – name Bethlehem and the manger when they give a place name at all. His birth was attended by shepherds coming in from their work in the fields, alert- ed by a bright light and unearthly music. The story is itself so pow- erful that these shepherds – who were so notorious their testimony was not permitted in courts of the day – were believed by people who heard them. Although many prophetic predictions tied to Jesus and His disciples are disputed by some scholars who claim they were actually uttered after the events they describe, Jesus’ birth came as the fulfillment of numerous prophe- cies uttered cen- turies before the events – statements whose historicity before the facts has never been ques- tioned. Jesus grew up and traveled the country- side healing the sick and teaching about a way of life not based on survival but rather on sac- rifice. As an adult He voluntarily entered another kind of manger where His life was forfeit – no rational case can be made for the notion He did not know what was coming and this his- tory too knows no challenge. In addition, there is simply no way to account for the faith- fulness of men like Nicholas outside the reality of the Resur- rection and an ongo- ing Presence of the Son of God in the world. James Wilson He offered to his followers not just the example of His life but enablement to live with and like Him through acceptance of His Lordship in the lives of His followers. And though skeptics question the literality of the miracles nobody can account for the worldwide impact of the teachings over the past two thousand years – and nobody can account for the fact that such a radically counter-intu- itive vision has gained such traction without the works of wonder to back it up. As an infant, of course, He is utterly at the mercy of those around Him in the manger. A great teacher? No doubt He was, but it is not insight – nor even example – that carries the power of the Christian life today. It is the indwelling presence of a person who entered the world in the ordinary way – squalling and dirty diapers and all – and brought peace on earth and goodwill to men and women through His pres- ence. That is what the shepherds, and St. Nicholas, and the rest of us get to celebrate if we will. James A. Wilson is the author of Living As Ambassadors of Relationships and The Holy Spirit and the End Times – available at local bookstores or by e-mailing him at praynorthstate@charter.net. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3063 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2635 Forest Ave. Ste. 100, Chico, CA 95928; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (415) 403-0100. Fax (202) 224- 0454. The top ten comedic news stories of 2010 Commentary Please be advised: the Top Ten Comedic News Stories of 2010 are not to be confused with the Top Ten Legitimate News Stories of 2010. 0They are as different as lasagna and asphalt. Ear wax and linoleum. A lunch-wagon sink trap and nuclear-lab clean rooms. Toe shoes and track cleats. Christian Science minis- ters and health insurance semi- nars. Sure, sure, there were more serious stories involving death and destruction and devastation o’plenty but we tend to concen- trate more on those narratives that offer a break from the ten- sion -- that allow us to view the desolation from the lighter side of the vast dark chasm. Like when Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, Elena Kagan and the Chilean miners were disrupted by the Icelandic Volcano from attending the World Cup. A wor- thy account, yes; but alas, not esteemed enough for our list. So here they are, the stories from 2010 that most lent themselves to joshing and kidding and rib- bing. 10. Dick Cheney’s Sixth Heart Attack. How does a guy without a heart have six heart attacks? It would be like Rod Blagojevich contracting a brain tumor. Cheney is so evil, Hell keeps spitting him back. 9. Barack Obama. True to his word, the 44th president man- aged to unite the country. Against him. Although, the two sides do view him through dif- ferent prisms. The right sees him as Malcolm X. The left -- Urkel. 8. Christine O’Donnell. Delaware Senatorial candidate claimed she’s not a witch. Then the local Wiccan community denied having anything to do with her. Which probably didn’t lead above the fold on her elec- tion eve mailer. 7. California Gubernatorial Candidate Meg Whitman. A Jerry Brown staffer called her a "ho" and she went ballistic. "It’s an insult to all women." Nooooo, we’re pretty sure it was specific to you. Spends more than a seventh of a billion dol- lars on her campaign and still cuts her hair with a salad shoot- er. Go figure. 6. Glenn Beck. Attempts to reclaim the civil rights movement by holding a rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Because isn’t it about time angry, middle- aged, pudgy white guys got a fair shake from society? 5. Health Care. 2700 pages long. Or 2900. They’re still not sure. Lot of stuff can happen in 200 pages. I’ve read Harry Potter. 4. The TSA’s New Search Policy. Just direct me to the agent who didn’t volunteer for the gig. 3. Sarah Palin. At Every two weeks, she erupts. She’s like Republican herpes. And I mean that in a good way. 2. George W. Will Durst Raging Moderate Tea Party Convention she criticized Obama for over-dependency on a teleprompter while she had notes written on her hand. Which is a 5th-grade teleprompter for people who can’t read fast. Every two weeks there’s something with her. Bush’s Autobiogra- phy. Decisions Decid- ed by the Deciding Decider. Wherein he talks about how glad he is to be out of Washington. That makes about 310 mil- lion of us. Online campaign urges cus- tomers to transfer book from Non Fic- tion to True Crime. 1. BP Oil Spill. Largest pile of toxic sludge to hit American shores since Ann Coulter’s latest book. Brightside: Able to refuel jet ski midtrip. Will Durst is a political comedian who has performed around the world. He is a familiar pundit on television and radio. E-mail Will at durst@caglecartoons.com.