The World and Everything in It: December 25, 2023

PREROLL: The World and Everything in It is made possible by listeners like us. I'm Bill Meisner, and I own a video production company here in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. My wife and I are huge fans of WORLD. It helps inform our thinking and direct our prayers on important issues. We just sent in our year end gift. And if you haven't yet, I hope you'll do the same. Go to wng.org/donate. I used Apple Pay, and it took less than a minute. Merry Christmas, and I hope you enjoy today's program.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Merry Christmas!

NICK EICHER, HOST: Merry Christmas!

REICHARD: Today, WORLD reporters and editors read the Christmas story from scripture with their families.

HENDERSON: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Can you start there?

EICHER: Also, the joy of house-to-house caroling. And, a special Christmas Eve broadcast from space.

AUDIO: For all the people back on earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send you.

REICHARD: It’s Monday, December 25th. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

EICHER: And I’m Nick Eicher. Good morning!

REICHARD: Up next, Kristen Flavin with today’s news.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, NEWS ANCHOR: Israel / Gaza » Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem are more somber than usual this year.

Resident Christie Pavey:

PAVEY: The atmosphere this year is much different from most years. Usually there's a hive of activity with all the pilgrims that come, but this year it's very solemn because of the war.

Israeli officials say more than a dozen of their troops died from fighting in Gaza this past weekend.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said a Christmas Eve strike killed at least 70 Palestinians.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, he said afterward he did not urge a cease-fire.

NETANYAHU: [Speaking Hebrew]

Yesterday Netanyahu said Israel would not stop its war in Gaza until it had achieved its goals. He said during the monthslong war Israel has killed, “many thousands of terrorists.”

Ukraine » Worshippers in Ukraine gather today to celebrate Christmas in a show of defiance against Russia.

Before Moscow invaded, many Ukrainian churches followed the same calendar as the Russian Orthodox Church, which observes Christmas on January 7th.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law this summer officially moving the national Christmas holiday to December 25th, in line with the traditional Western calendar.

ZELENSKYY: [Speaking Ukrainian] Today, all Ukrainians are together. We all meet Christmas together. On the same date, as one big family, as one nation, as one united country. And today our common prayer will be stronger than ever.

On Christmas Eve, Zelenskyy told Ukrainians they were celebrating together as one family and that their common prayer would be, quote, stronger than ever..

Border Negotiations » Congressional Republicans pledge they will keep demanding stronger border security policies before they agree to supply more aid to Israel and Ukraine.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told ABC’s This Week:

GRAHAM: The policies of the Biden administration are attracting people from all over the world. We have to change those policies to secure our border. so policy changes are the key to getting a deal to help Ukraine.

The House of Representatives is out of session for a three-week holiday break. Congress is expected to resume negotiations next month.

Trump presidential immunity » Lawyers for former President Donald Trump are telling a Washington, D.C. appeals court that their client acted within his duties as president when he questioned the integrity of the 2020 presidential election.

They filed the argument late Saturday after the Supreme Court refused on Friday to hear fast-tracked arguments in the case.

Former U.S. Attorney Bill Barr says the question of Trump’s presidential immunity is a complicated one.

BARR: My view is that they're probably going to rule, that this is one of those cases where there has to be a lot more facts developed to determine how immunity applies.

A district judge has already ruled that presidential immunity does not preclude the four federal charges Trump faces in Washington for alleged election interference.

The appeals court is set to hear arguments in the case on January 9th.

Human Trafficking Victims » More than 300 Indian airplane passengers are cleared to return home from France following a dayslong human trafficking investigation.

Authorities grounded the charter plane on Thursday after reportedly receiving a tip indicating the passengers were being trafficked by a criminal group. The plane left from the United Arab Emirates, stopped for fuel in France, and was scheduled to depart to Nicaragua.

BAKAYOKO: [Speaking French]

Lawyer Liliana Bakayoko represents Legend Airways which was carrying the passengers. She says the airline did nothing wrong and that it is cooperating with French authorities.

Gas prices » Gas prices have risen slightly. Gas prices monitor AAA says Americans on average are paying $3.12 cents per gallon of regular unleaded. That’s up from $3.06 cents per gallon a week ago.

Hawaii currently has the highest statewide average price at $4.67 cents per gallon while Mississippi currently has the lowest at $2.66 cents per gallon.

I'm Kristen Flavin.

Straight ahead: Reading the Christmas story. Plus, a famous Christmas broadcast from the moon.

This is The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Christmas Day, 2023. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. Up first, on The World and Everything in It: The Christmas story.

On Christmas morning, families often read the account of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2. This year, we asked our WORLD families to join that tradition: Reading the story of Christ’s birth with their spouses, siblings, kids, or grandkids. So, some of the voices you’ll recognize. Others will be new.

Special thanks to the Browns, Lewises, Hendersons, Schmitts, Reichards, Watterses, and Freires.

REICHARD: This account includes scripture from Old Testament prophecy, plus a bit from the gospel of Matthew with some animal sounds thrown in for good measure.

KIM HENDERSON/NARRATOR: Many years ago, God promised that he would send a savior to the earth. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign,” can you start there?

GRANDCHILD/PROPHET: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

HENDERSON/NARRATOR: Alright, and then we’ve got those prophets there. Does anybody know these words? “For to us a child is born to us is given, and the government shall be upon his—

GRANDCHILD: Name!

HENDERSON: No, shoulder! And his name shall be called—

GRANDCHILD: Jesus!

HENDERSON: Well, you’re right, it is Jesus. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

JENNY LIND SCHMITT: “Should I…? No, I’m Prophet 3. Go ahead.”

PROPHET #2: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

JLS/PROPHET #3: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

MARY REICHARD/NARRATOR: But nobody knew when that savior would come. Then, after hundreds and hundreds of years waiting, God sent a messenger to announce the savior’s coming.

You keep eating your fish.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said…

AUDIO: [Baby noise]

AMY LEWIS/NARRATOR: And he came to her and said…

XAVIER LEWIS/GABRIEL: “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

NARRATOR: But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her,

XAVIER LEWIS/GABRIEL: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

NARRATOR: And Mary said to the angel,

AMY LEWIS/MARY: How will this be, since I am a virgin?

NARRATOR: And the angel answered her,

XAVIER LEWIS/GABRIEL: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.

NARRATOR: And Mary said,

AMY LEWIS/MARY: Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.

NARRATOR: And the angel departed from her.

MARY REICHARD/NARRATOR: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. [Baby talking] Really? “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

STEVE WATTERS/NARRATOR: Now in those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. [laughter; Kwai-rinius!]

TEDDY WATTERS/NARRATOR: And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

WESLEY BROWN/NARRATOR: And there was no room for them to stay in the house so they had to sleep with the animals. The cows. What does a cow say?

BECKETT: Moo!

WESLEY: Here’s a sheep; what does a sheep say?

BECKETT: Aaaaa!

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN/NARRATOR: And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

MARY REICHARD: And that’s where the baby was born. They named him Jesus. Can you say Jesus?

ELLA: Jesus!

LEWIS NARRATOR: And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [Various sheep noises] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. [Yelling] And the angel said to them:

ANGEL: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

SCHMITT NARRATOR: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

MULTIPLE ANGELS: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

EMMA FREIRE/NARRATOR: When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,

EMMA FREIRE/SHEPHERD: “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

FREIRE DAUGHTER/NARRATOR: And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN/NARRATOR: Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said…

WESLEY BROWN/SIMEON: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

NICK EICHER, HOST: Next up on The World and Everything in It: The music of Christmas.

Singing is such an integral part of worship, especially at Christmas time. We’ve enjoyed bringing you the songs of Advent. Today, one final installment…the songs of Christmas Day. This time, by an unusual choir.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Here’s WORLD Correspondent Bonnie Pritchett.

BONNIE PRITCHETT: Worshiping God in song is as old as our faith. Hymn writers reached back to the Old Testament prophets and Psalms for inspiration. Songs celebrating Christ’s birth grew from the fledgling church.

The first Christmas hymn was composed in 129 AD. Two hundred years later, Christians in Rome sang it during Christmas services by order of the bishop.

Christmas hymns, or carols, became a common element of church worship by the 12th century. During the Victorian era, caroling – the practice of singing from house to house – became popular in the streets of England.

That tradition continues.

AUDIO: [Excited yelling]

On the streets of Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

VOICE: Here we come a wassailing…

Carolers too young to read words, or music, are tasked with making one musical contribution – the ringing of the doorbell.

VOICE: Oh! She rang it. We better figure it out…

Sometimes before the carolers are prepared.

VOICES: It’s number 2. Number 2, fast!

VOICE: Don’t start too high. It goes high quick [SINGING] Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight or’ all the Earth. He who sang creation’s story now proclaim Messiah’s birth. Come and worship. Come and worship. Worship Christ the newborn king…

The dozen musical merrymakers include WORLD Radio’s feature editor Anna Johansen Brown, her family, and friends. Their young bell ringers dodge between strollers and singers.

SINGERS: Worship Christ the newborn king. [SHOUTS] Merry Christmas!

It’s a still December night. No stars shine in the sky. But on the houses, Christmas lights twinkle an invitation to sing.

Caroling is a Brown family tradition. Some carolers sing from memory. Others follow along with the harmony lines in the homemade “Brown Family Carol Books” – a collection of stapled song sheets.

The First Noel. Deck the Halls. Angels from the Realms of Glory. Ding Dong Merrily on High.

SINGING: Ding dong, merrily on high in heaven the bells are ringing. Ding dong merrily the sky is riven with angels singing. Gloriaaaaaaaaa Hosana in Ex celcis…

Neighbors come to their doors, looking surprised. They call for the rest of the family—kids, spouses, guests—to come see. What’s this? Caroling?

Smiles and wishes of a “Merry Christmas!” assure the street singers their interruption was welcome.

All but one home opened their door. Folks could be seen inside, but they didn’t stir. Maybe they heard. Perhaps they listened.

With visions of hot chocolate and cookies dancing through children’s heads, spreading Christmas joy may last only one more song.

SINGERS: Joy to the World the Lord is come. Let Earth receive her king. Let every heart prepare him room. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and heaven and nature sing. Merry Christmas! [LAUGHS]

Joy to the World! It’s the most ubiquitous Christmas carol that focuses little on His birth and more on its effect.

The song celebrates Jesus’ reign. So, as we praise God for fulfilling his promise to send the Messiah, may we also, like our ancestors in the faith, joyfully wait and watch for his return. Now that will be something to sing about!

SINGERS: He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love and wonders of his love…

For WORLD, I’m Bonnie Pritchett. Merry Christmas!

REICHARD: We’ll update our Spotify Playlist with these new pieces, so you can enjoy them at home. We’ve included the link in today’s transcript at wng.org/podcasts.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Monday, December 25th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. All this week we’ll be looking back at a few of the notable deaths of 2023: politicians, accomplished athletes, religious leaders, business leaders, and cultural icons.

EICHER: We’ll start that look-back with a special Christmas edition of the WORLD History Book.

Apollo astronaut Colonel Frank Borman died on November 7th at the age of 95. He commanded the first mission to orbit the moon.

Fifty- five years ago yesterday, Christmas Eve, the three-astronaut crew sent a message to the nations of the world. The technology of the time we’ve surpassed … but the content of the message, though timeless, is something that probably couldn’t be done today.

WORLD Radio’s executive producer Paul Butler with the story of that broadcast.

PAUL BUTLER: On December 24th, 1968, Jim Lovell, William Anders, and Frank Borman become the first people to witness an “Earthrise.” The famous photo of our planet hanging above the desolate lunar surface is one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century.

The mission flight plan includes a number of live broadcasts. The fourth—and longest one—is scheduled a few hours after Apollo 8 enters lunar orbit…on Christmas Eve. Before they connect with stations back on earth, Frank Borman walks them through the plan. Audio here from the NASA archives.

BORMAN: And I’ll say a couple words and then we’ll say something about how this kind of reminds me of how it might have started and then you read the first four verses of Genesis, Jim reads the next four, and I’ll read the last two and we’ll say goodnight.

15 years ago the three astronauts spoke at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. During their presentation they gave the backstory to the most memorable part of that Christmas Eve broadcast. Frank Borman explains:

BORMAN: We were told that on Christmas Eve we would have the largest audience that ever listened to a human voice. And the only instructions that we got from NASA was to do “something appropriate.” Joe Layton and his wife—I guess his wife finally came down after—nobody could figure out was appropriate. And they suggested that we read from the first 10 verses of Genesis.

At 9:34 pm Eastern Time on December 24th, 1968, Commander Borman, Command Module Pilot Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot Anders begin the broadcast—sending back television footage from the orbiter.

BROADCAST CLIP: I hope that all of you back on Earth can see what we mean when we say it’s a rather foreboding horizon. A very dark and unappetising looking place…

The images are fuzzy and hard to make out, but the crew tries to put into words what they see.

BROADCAST CLIP: …now you can see the long shadows of the lunar sunrise…

As the 26-minute broadcast comes to a close, the astronauts take turns reading from the book of Genesis...beginning with William Anders:

WILLIAM ANDERS: Now approaching lunar sunrise and for all the people back on earth, the crew of Apollo eight has a message that we would like to send you. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good and divided the light from the darkness.

Jim Lovell is next…

JIM LOVELL: Then God called the light day and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning was the first day. And God said "let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." And God made the firmament and divided the waters which under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And God called the firmament heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Finally, commander Frank Borman ends the broadcast like this:

FRANK BORMAN: And God said let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear and it was so. And God called the dry land earth. And the gathering together of the waters called He seas. And God saw that it was good.

Later, Frank Borman admits the Christmas Eve broadcast is an emotional experience that shapes the rest of his life. He says he’ll never forget looking back on the earth, and seeing it just hanging there, the only color in the vastness of space.

FRANK BORMAN: And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you. All of you on this good earth.

MUSIC: [FROM HEAVEN ABOVE TO EARTH I COME BY KALAFINA]
Lyric: From heav'n above to earth I come, to bear good news to every home; glad tidings of great joy I bring, whereof I now will say and sing…

That’s this week’s WORLD History Book. I’m Paul Butler. Merry Christmas.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Tomorrow: Reflecting on big stories from the year with a few of WORLD’s reporters. And, remembering the lives of significant men and women in business and science who died this year. That and more tomorrow.

I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

The World and Everything in It comes to you from WORLD Radio.

WORLD’s mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires.

The Bible says: “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” —Psalm 145, verses 17 and 18.

Go now and celebrate with friends and family in grace and peace.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.