从二楼的窗口望出去，一楼的事务支援部的人正在布置圣诞树，自己才意识到，快到圣诞节了。

对于我们国家的人，圣诞节的本身并没有多少意义，但是对于商家来讲，只要是能赚钱的机会，自然不可错过，于是大肆宣创造势，期待能有一个好的收益，恨不能把圣诞节变成花钱节。

自己是教徒，所以对于圣诞节的理解自然多一些宗教的意味，但是我的理解，又和宗教的描述不完全相同。圣诞节的由来，其实是古希腊人纪念太阳神阿波罗的一个日子，后来被教会定成了纪念耶稣诞生的日子。但是对于诞生在穷苦人家的孩子耶稣，在一开始的时候是没有人在乎他到底是在何时诞生的。

每到圣诞夜，西方的小朋友总是演出同一个戏剧，说得是若瑟带着怀孕将要生产的玛丽亚，到那匝勒投宿住店的故事。那个时候以色列是罗马的殖民地，罗马人颁布了一条法令，要求所有的人必须回到原籍进行户籍登记。这一条法令，造成了大量人口的流动，若瑟和玛丽亚就在这流动的大军里。但是到了那匝勒城，才发觉所有的旅店都已经住满了，作为穷人，他们能够做的，就是挨家挨户的敲门，希望能够借宿一晚，但是没有人肯收留他们。到了最后，一个好心的人告诉他们，在郊外有个用来做牲口棚的山洞，他们可以到那里避避夜晚的风寒。结果，小耶稣就降生在这个山洞的牲口棚的马槽里，然后一位牧童发现了他们，才开始到处传递人子降生的消息。

这是圣经当中对于耶稣降生的记述，作为穷苦人，他们遭受到的待遇，令我们同情。我想起了在很久以前，自己在《读者》上读到的一篇文章，说得是一群孩子，在圣诞夜演出同样的戏剧，当扮演若瑟和玛丽亚的小演员敲开一家店主的门时，这时候扮演店主的小演员应当严词拒绝，并且咒骂他们一通。但是，这个小演员把门打开后，沉默了好久，终于哭了出来，说你们进来吧，进来吧，外面好冷。据说当时观众当中响起雷鸣般的掌声。其实，我们每年过圣诞节，温习同样的故事，那个孩子用他的纯净的心灵做出的选择，才是我们应当效仿的。我们是不是应当自问一下，当需要帮助的人向我们伸出求援的手的时候，我们是任其沉沦，还是施以援手？我们到底有没有打开心门，接纳哪些需要我们帮助的人呢？我想，这才是圣诞节的真正意义。

耶稣曾经说过，我永远不会离去，我会存在那些弱小的需要帮助的人的身上，谁若接纳了他们，就是接纳了我；谁若帮助了他们，也就是帮助了我。希望我对于圣诞节的认知，能够影响到朋友们，能够接纳小耶稣的诞生，而不至于让他诞生在郊外山洞的马槽中。这时我想起了美国乡村歌手  一首歌《What if she is an angel》，歌词大意是说在我们每天上班的路口，会看到一个人举着牌子，上面写着Work or Food，当我经过的时候，却从来没有想到过帮助过他，我们从来不会想到几美元对于他来说意味着什么；如果他是上帝派来天使来对我们进行测验，我们能够自信通过这场测验吗？然后又说了被家庭暴力伤害的女邻居，还有靠在爸爸怀里生病的小孩等。实际上，世界上有好多需要我们关爱的人，并且，我们也应当为我们具有关爱别人的能力感到幸福。最后，将歌词的全文发在这里，并附上可以下载这首歌的网址。

What if she's an angel         by    Tommy Shane Steiner

There's a man standing on the corner
With a sign sayin "will work for food"
You know the man
You see him every morning

The one you never give your money to
You can sit there with your window rolled up
Wondering when the lights going to turn green
Never knowing what a couple more bucks
In his pocket might mean

What if he's an angel sent here from Heaven
And he's making certain that you're doing your best
To take the time to help one another
Brother, are you going to pass that test
You can go on with your day to day
Trying to forget what you saw in his face
Knowing deep down it could have been his saving grace
What if he's an angel

There's a man
There's a woman
Living right above you in apartment G
There's a lot of noise coming through the ceiling
And it don't sound like harmony
You can sit there with your TV turned up
While the words and his anger fly
Come tomorrow when you see her with her shades on
Can you look her in the eye

What if she's an angel sent here from heaven
And she's making certain that you're doing your best
To take the time to help one another
Brother, are you going to pass that test
You can go on with your day to day
Trying to forget what you saw in her face
Knowing deep down it could have been her saving grace
What if she's an angel

A little girl on daddy's lap
Hiding her disease with a baseball cap
You can turn the channel
Most people do
But what if you were setting in her daddy's shoes

Maybe she's an angel
Sent here from Heaven
And she's making certain you're doing your best
To take the time to help one another
Brother，are you going to pass that test?
You can go on with your day to day
Trying to forget what you saw in her face
Knowing deep down it could have been her saving grace
What if she's an angel

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/2006-06/21/content_621888.htm