One unusually warm afternoon in November, while the boys were at the playground, no doubt fighting over swings and seesaws, the telephone rang.  It was their older sister, Nikki.  She called to see how everyone was doing.  She lived far away in another state, with her husband and three cats.  Their mom explained all about the boys, how they were fighting, and how she wished they would learn to get along so she could have a little peace and quiet.  Nikki offered to take the boys for one week, during Christmas vacation.  Mom thought it was a great idea.  She would miss them, but she knew she needed a break, and that the boys would love to spend some of their vacation with their big sister.

     When Matthew and Clifford returned from the playground that day, Mom told them about the phone call she had received from Nikki.  The boys were both happy and excited.  They couldn’t wait to take their trip.  Mom smiled to know that the boys finally agreed on something, but she kept it quiet, for if they realized they were getting along, it would spoil everything.

     It seemed like Christmas vacation would never come.  Clifford and Matthew counted down the days, one by one.  They argued over what to take with them.  They argued over what they wanted to do while they visited.  But one thing they didn’t disagree on was how happy they would be to see their sister once again.  They both loved and missed her very much.  She would be coming soon to pick them up and drive them back to her home.

     Finally the day arrived.  Matthew and Clifford hardly slept the night before.  They were up at the crack of dawn, watching out the window to see if she was there yet.  Around noon, they saw her car coming up the driveway.

     “Hooray!” They shouted.  “I can see her car.  It’s her!  It’s her!”  They were so happy they even hugged.  It didn’t last long though for they soon realized what they were doing, and pretended they were so embarrassed to be seen hugging each other.   Mom told them to go out to meet Nikki as she drove up.  As they ran for the door, they began to argue over who would open it.

     “I’m going to open the door” shouted Matthew.

     “No, I want to open it.  Get out of my way!” Clifford shouted back.  But Matthew was the bigger of the two and managed to get there first.  He flung open the door just as Nikki was getting out of her car.

     “Hiya boys!” she called.  “What is this?  A stampede?”  They were running at her, full throttle, both wanting to be the first to reach her.  “Slow down!” she yelled but it was too late.  They couldn’t stop themselves and they ran right into her and down she fell.

     “Ouch!” she hollered.  She slowly rose to her feet and dusted herself off.  “See what can happen when you make everything a competition?  Innocent bystanders get hurt” she said jokingly.  Mom was the next one out to greet her.  It was a much softer ‘hello’ as she was able to remain standing this time.

     “Let’s all go in the house for something warm to drink.” suggested Mom. “I even baked some cookies for you all to take on your trip.  We can have them now, if you’d like”.

     “Yeah!” said Matthew hungrily.  “Let’s have them now!”  This response came as no surprise as Matthew loved to eat and did it every chance he got.

     “Naaaa” disagreed Clifford.  “I’d rather wait.  We will need something to snack on in the car.” Mom rolled her eyes and turned to Nikki.

     “What a surprise.” she said flatly.  “I should have known better than to even ask.”

     “Why don’t we have a few now and save the rest for the trip?” suggested Nikki.  “I love fresh baked cookies and I’m kind of hungry after my long drive.”  They all went into the house together, everyone talking at the same time about the days to come.

     Mom fixed a great lunch.   They had soup and sandwiches, hot apple cider, and even a few cookies.   The afternoon passed quickly and it was soon time to go.  Mom gave hugs and kisses to Nikki and the boys.  She would miss them all very much.  They waved as they drove down the driveway and out of sight.

     Matthew and Clifford shared the backseat.  They both were reading their favorite comic books.  Of course, they couldn’t agree on a favorite super-hero and followed different comics. Matthew loved to read about Goldo.  He had golden skin and fought for truth and justice.  Clifford liked to read about the Thunderous Three, a trio of superheroes who battled evil villains using the powers of nature:  the lightning bolt, the thunder clap, as well as hail, wind, and rain.

     “I hope I get the talking Goldo action figure for Christmas.  He is so awesome.  If I were a superhero, I’d definitely be just like him.” beamed Matthew.  “I also want the GoldMobile, and the GoldMotel.  After all it is Christmas, I should get them.”

     “Whatever!” hissed Clifford.  “Goldo, more like Weirdo.  The Thunderous Three rule!  They have all the powers of nature and are masters of the earth and sky.  I better get the Thunder Throne and the three actions figures to go with it.  Plus, I want the Clouds of Calamity Soundrack. The movie was so cool!  I just love Christmas.  It’s when you get everything you want!”

     “Only if you’re good boys.” Nikki reminded them.

     “Of course we are!” scoffed Matthew.

     “Duh!” agreed Clifford

     “Hmmmm.  I wonder about that sometimes” snickered Nikki.  “But I know one thing for sure. My favorite superhero is better than Goldo and the Thunderous Three put together!”

     “What!” exclaimed Matthew and Clifford in unison  Their mouths dropped wide open and their eyes bulged slightly at the mere suggestion that their superheroes were anything less than they had built them up to be.  Nikki smiled knowingly.

     “No way.  The Thunderous Three are the greatest force in the universe.” reported Clifford

     “They’re O.K. but they are nothing compared to Goldo.  He is true and pure, that’s why he’s golden. Get it?  Who is your favorite superhero, Nikki?  Whoever it is, there is no way he’s better than Goldo.” said Matthew assuredly.

     “Well, my superhero is also true and pure,  Matthew.  As a matter of fact, His truth and goodness are the source of His power.  He has never been untruthful, and is always there to save anyone who needs it.  He can be anywhere and everywhere at anytime, and no villain can defeat him, though many try. He is the force which holds the universe together.”

     “But,” Clifford interjected, “The Thunderous Three all work together.  They are stronger than just one man.  They combine their strengths to defeat evil drug lords and to save the environment. They recycle, they work with the poor, and help feed the hungry.

     “Those are certainly noble deeds, Clifford.” Nikki nodded.  “My superhero doesn’t just defeat bad guys, he turns some into good guys.  He has fed thousands of people when there was very little food to feed them with.  He has healed the sickest of people when everyone else had given up on them.  He certainly has ‘super’ powers.  And he also works with the power of three: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”

     “Ghost?  Like Space Ghost or something?”  asked Matthew.  Nikki laughed.

     “Not quite.  It’s called the trinity.  My superhero is Jesus Christ.  He’s the Son, God is the Father, and the Holy Ghost is the Spirit”

     “Jesus isn’t a superhero!” objected Clifford.

     “I believe he is.”  Nikki responded.

     “What do you mean?”  Matthew seemed quite interested.

     “Well, you don’t have to have an action figure or a comic book to be a superhero.  The things He said inspired nations of people, and the things He did saved the world, including me and you guys.”  Clifford seemed confused by this.

     “I don’t remember that.  It must have been when I was a baby.  Was I sick or something?”

     “It was a very long time before you were born.  It was before Mom and Dad were born, even before Grandma and Grandpa were born.  It was thousands of years ago.  You see,  all of humankind was sick, and it was Jesus who healed us.  He did it by saving us from the most destructive forces, that is, ourselves.  He loved us all so much that He was killed so that we would never have to die. “

     “Are you saying the bad guys got Him?  I thought you said He was a superhero?”  Matthew queried

     “Well, they thought they got Him, but they were very, very wrong.  He is such an awesome force He rose from the dead!  Now, we can live forever, with Him in heaven,  because of what he did for us. Isn’t that cool?” Nikki asked.

     “ Oh yeah,” answered Clifford emphatically, “ I guess I never thought of Jesus as like a superhero.”  Clifford stated.  “I mean, we went to Sunday school and stuff, but I just didn’t think of Him that way.”

     “People always think of superheros as wearing capes, and weird outfits, and like using laser guns and stuff.  But I guess they don’t have to, huh?”  Matthew added.

     “Nope.”  Nikki answered. “God sent Jesus to be born into the world just like everyone else.  We celebrate Christmas because of it.  Jesus lived most of his life as a regular person.  He worked as a carpenter building and repairing things,  and he certainly didn’t dress in any crazy costume to do that.  Even after he stopped being a carpenter, he still continued to build and repair, only instead of wood, it was people he worked with.  He spread the word of love, kindness, salvation, and brotherhood everywhere he went.”

     “Brotherhood!”  exclaimed Matthew.  “Mom always tells us to practice brotherhood.  She’s doing what Jesus did.”

     “We should all do what Jesus did.  We should try to live our lives just like He did.  We should love one another, and help one another, even when we’re mad.” Nikki informed them.

     “Brothers need to practice brotherhood” Clifford said, echoing his mother’s words.

     “That’s right.” Nikki agreed with a smile.  She hoped some of this was getting through.  “So, if Jesus was a superhero and you live your life like He did, that would make you a superhero, too.”

     “Cool.”  said Matthew.

     “Very cool.” added Clifford.

     Christmas was wonderful that year, as it is most years.   Both of the boys got many of the wonderful things they’d been hoping for.  Even better, they didn’t seem to care about the things they didn’t get.  The part they loved the most was spending time with their family playing games, talking, joking,  and laughing.  They even tried to practice brotherhood by not fighting,  but still did sometimes, as brothers sometimes do.  The important thing was that they tried, and that they were beginning to understand the true, beautiful meaning of Christmas.  They realized that Christmas is like a party, held in honor of the greatest superhero in the universe, Jesus Christ.