Remember the greatest gift of all

To the editor:Here it is, almost Christmas. You can tell because of the hustle and bustle, the decorations, the ringing of the Salvation Army bells at all the stores and all the money going to the banks from the stores where we buy presents to place under our wonderful tree.

I'm not saying these things are wrong, but we need to put back the original meaning of the season. We need to remember what happened this time of year. The world received a gift -- not just Christians, but the world.

Not all will accept the gift, but it was given to all mankind. The gift didn't come under a tree, but in a barn. There weren't any bells, but there was singing. And there were other gifts.

While you are buying that perfect gift, think about the gift that was given to you so long ago. Maybe we will put the true meaning back into Christmas. The gift for this time of year is just one word: Christ.

SANFORD LADWIG, Cape Girardeau