Brief Book Review: The Heart of Christmas

The Heart of Christmas 

Author: Compiled by Sarah Bubbers, 

Publisher: Collins Fount Paperbacks, 143 pages, including Foreword, In Case You Didn’t Know, Acknowledgements, Crisis at Christmas

Reviewed by Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson

Author

At the time of this publication, Sarah Bubbers had studied English at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, then was an editorial staff person of a London publisher—working on children’s books, religious books, and fiction. Then she became a freelance editor. Her twin baby sons were born during work on this volume.

Contents

The volume consists of four chapters: 1 Away in a Manger A Child’s Christmas; 2 Love Came Down at Christmas God’s Wonderful Gift; 3 O Come, All Ye Faithful Christmas Remembered; 4 See Amid the Winter’s Snow The Challenge of Christmas. 

Each of the chapters begin with citations from Luke’s and Matthew’s accounts of Jesus’s birth. The chapters then include several stories, poems, reflections, hymns, and “Kid’s Quotes” of seven year olds, such as: “Christmas comes so that we can have peace, love and hope all year round” (p. 43). And: “At Christmas I think about poor Santa who gets soot on him” (p. 43). 

Some of the “classic” Christmas stories appear in the volume—for example: “Carol Singing” from A Child’s Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas; “Christmas in Prison,” by Richard Wurmbrand; and “Christmas at Mole End,” from The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. 

There are other inspiring, humorous, and insightful stories by contributors from a variety of backgrounds, including: clergy, politicians, writers, broadcasters, actors, and so on. One of my favourite reflections is “Christmas in Israel,” by Walter Barker, who also provides a brief description of the Jewish Hanukkah festival. 

Under the title “In Case You Didn’t Know...” Bubbers provides biographical sketches of this volume’s contributors. 

What I appreciated most, however, is that the book’s royalties went to help a London charitable organisation called Crisis at Christmas, which began working in the field of homelessness in 1967. Moreover, the authors and publishers shared their works free of charge. 

This wee volume is ideal for families celebrating the true spirit of Christmas.