Something unspoken fills the air.

Something unites us all these few days, from rugged mountain folk to jet-setting tourist. There is something about this very special time of year that acts as a bond between people.

Recently I attended another performance of Handel’s magnificent "Messiah". There were people of all sizes and shapes, ages and colors, gathered in the church to hear the words of distant writers put to beautiful music.

I suspect that there were also people of all stages of belief and unbelief, from the piously faithful to the questioning skeptic. All of us drawn together by something unspoken.

"For unto us a child is born..."

As the words from the prophet were joyously proclaimed by the choir, tears fell down the cheeks of both believer and unbeliever, tears fell for those who have heard the words thousands of times before and for those who heard them for the first time.

The temples that throbbed and the throats that closed up were possessed by all of us and not just those who shared one particular faith. Something unspoken united us all.

The ancient story tells of a child born in the most miraculous way. Like all children, the baby boy was seen as a gift from God by his parents and later by millions of others. The child was a gift that promised peace on earth, goodwill to all.

The child was a gift that seemed to good to be true and so many dared not believe it. We continue to dare not believe in miracles. Yet every year, along about this time, something brings us together...something unspoken fills the air.

For these few wonderful days, there is talk of peace even as war envelops the globe. There is talk of joy even as we witness the hungering faces of the poor and destitute. There is talk of hope even as the future seems more and more bleak.

But these are the deep-felt dreams of us all, no matter what religion we share. Christmas is a time of articulating those dreams in all kinds of fine and foolish ways, from the sentimentally sloppy Christmas card to the single wreath hanging in the window, from the piped-in carols that surround shoppers to the lovely hymns of Christmas Eve...they are all ways we use to try and explain that something in the air.

"For unto us..."

Unto you. Unto me. Unto us. Together, we have all been given a gift. A gift that comes in countless shapes and a myriad of wrappings. A gift that longs to be opened by all. It is the gift of love and joy and hope.

It is a miraculous gift that fills the air this lovely time of year with something unspoken.