THE HOPES AND FEARS

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THE HOPES AND FEARS

by Philip Yancey

I’ve always had mixed feelings about Christmas. As I sifted through memories of the season while writing my memoir, Where the Light Fell, I better understood why. In my elementary school, Christmas called for a major event in the auditorium, complete with a concert by the school band and chorus. For some reason I volunteered to represent the first grade by singing a solo.... I chose “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and my mother wrote out the words on a card in case I forgot them.

Foolishly, I also signed up for the role of Peter Cottontail in our class skit.  My mother fashioned a fine set of rabbit ears around coat hanger frames, fixed them on my head, and pinned a fluffy cotton tail to the seat of my pants. I had the good sense to remove the rabbit ears before attempting my solo, but overlooked my cotton tail. As I walked to the microphone the upper classes laughed out loud, which rattled me so much that I forgot the words to the Christmas carol. I was too ashamed to look at my notes, because then everyone would know I had forgotten them, so I hummed an entire verse, trying to make my mistake seem intentional. No one was fooled.... [click to read full blog]

THE HOPES AND FEARS

Where the Light Fell   When Philip spoke with Sean McDowell, they discussed the hurt and doubt Philip faced early in his life, and how he discovered love and beauty as signs of what God is like.   LISTEN HERE:   Dr. Sean McDowell Podcast