Bring the Silly! Advent Reflections on the Sacred & Profane

Another of my Christmas classics from MARKing Time. Happy holidays, happy birthday, Jesus (even if you were not born in December really), and above all, …BRING THE SILLY!!!

Marking Time

Monty Pythons’ “Ministry of Silly Walks” sketch, 1970

“Silly Walk Development funding is far less than National Defense, Social Security, and even farm-support funding in this great nation. What makes you think your new walk deserves a government grant?”

I woke up today with a Christmas conundrum dancing in my head like a sugarplum (Ahem… I said dancing, not silly-walking, though conundrums do walk silly as well).

Here was my puzzle:

Is Santa Claus a harmless, jolly old elf, or an important Christian saint? — Have abandoned faith and charity in our shallow, juvenile modern fascination with the NYSE closing bell… and those cute little jingle bells? Or is he both?

Above, one of our more devilish saints. But a cute li’l chubby kid saved him.

On a personal level, and on a more year-round basis, the conundrum looks like this:

How can I expect anyone to take me seriously if I’m so consistently silly, juvenile or

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