WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

The Unconventional Gazette / December 15, 2012

The teacher asked young Patrick Murphy, "What do you do at Christmas time?"

Patrick then addressed the class. "Well Missus Jones, me and my twelve brothers and sisters go to midnight mass with Ma and Pa and we sing hymns. Then we come home very late and we put mincemeat pies by the back door and hang up our stockings. After that, all excited, we go to bed and wait for Santa Claus to come with all our toys."

"Very nice Patrick," said the teacher. "Now, Suzy Brown, what do you do at Christmas?"

"Well, Ms. Jones, my brother and I also go to church with Mom and Dad and we sing carols and we get home ever so late. We put cookies and milk by the chimney and we hang up our stockings. We can hardly sleep, waiting for Santa Claus to bring our new toys."

Realizing that the lone Jewish boy in the class had been left out of the discussion, she asked, "Now, Abe Cohen, what do you do at Christmas?"

Abe said, "Well, Ma'am, it's the same thing every year. Father comes home from the office. We all pile into the Cadillac, then drive to Dad's toy factory. When we get inside, we look around at all the empty shelves and smile. We sing 'What A Friend We Have in Jesus.' Then we fly to the Bahamas.