Celebrating Birthdays

Last night Sylvia and I joined some friends to celebrate Mosetta's birthday at a local restaurant. The celebrant rejoiced that we were gathered on the very day of her birthday. In fact, just two days prior Sylvia celebrated her birthday, the same birth day as her sister, who is three years older. We've often marveled at the fact that both sisters were born on the same day three years apart. Another strange thing--to us--is the fact that both sisters married good friends and longtime classmates, whose birthdays were but one day apart. 

I was talking about birthdays with one of the therapists during my physical rehab session. She commented that Sylvia is a Leo and wondered what I am. I had to scratch about in my memory for the name of my astrological sign and finally said, "Why I'm a Libra." She wondered how that worked out between us since Leos are apparently the take-charge people and we Libras are supposed to vascillate back and forth, being more emotional by nature. I said something to the effect that it must be working since we've now been married for over 51 years. 

I mention this incident not because I put any credence whatsoever in astrological signs--despite the story of the Magi and Jesus' birth. Rather, I speak about it to note all the many feelings, ideas and customs that wrap around birthdays. 

Origen of Alexandria (185-245 A.D.), in his dissertation on Leviticus, reminds us that in the Scriptures no believer is recorded to have celebrated his birthday. He wrote, "None of the saints can be found who ever held a feast or a banquet upon his birthday. . . But sinners rejoice and make merry on such days. For we find in the Old Testament that Pharaoh, king of Egypt, celebrated his birthday with a feast, and that Herod, in the New Testament did the same." 

That makes one wonder, does it not, whether we Christians of this time and day ought to be celebrating our birthdays. Are such celebrations pagan? Certainly not. They belong to the class of things that are neither commanded nor forbidden in the Bible. These are called adiaphora by theologians.  

And recall, if you will, that we annually celebrate the greatest birthday of all, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ on December 25. We celebrate it on that date even though we have nothing certain in the Bible telling us either the day of the month or the year when He was born. The celebration of Jesus' birth could, I suppose, be called an adiaphora, since it is not commanded. And there are still those Christians who refuse to celebrate it. However, the church has long ago decided that the reading of God's Word, the singing of hymns and the teaching connected with such celebrations can be wonderfully edifying. 

Maybe that's a partial reason why we celebrate birthdays with our friends and family as well. Such times help us to look back with thanks for another year of God's grace and forward with a prayer for continued blessings.

As I write, Sylvia and I have just returned from the store to purchase a cake for Dorothy. We're going to celebrate her 94th birthday after the worship service at our church. We'll gather around to rejoice with her for all the many blessings our Lord has showered upon her during the past decades. It will be wonderful celebration, I'm sure.