BY ARIEL MASTER

Appeared in print: Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011, page D4

As we head into the holiday season — a time of stress for many people — I think back to my mother’s birthday party last year.

It all started when my mother’s younger brother, whom she had not seen for a number of years, decided that he would make the cross-country trip to visit his dear old sister on her birthday.

Somehow word got out and soon a niece and couple of nephews and their families from various parts of the country were in on the act, and everyone started vying for control, each championing their own plans for regaling the honoree.

My sister, who was staying with my mother, thought she could settle things by assuring everyone that she would take care of the food. This was apparently the social equivalent of kicking a hornets’ nest. E-mails tinged with recrimination buzzed back and forth.

Mother was at a loss.

For one thing, birthdays aren’t a big deal in my immediate family. It is our standing joke to wish each other “Happy Groundhog Day” on birthdays, but apparently we never explained this to our relatives.

For another thing, my mother is nearing her first century on this planet, she lives in a small house, and she is not accustomed to people swooping in on her uninvited and taking over her activities. Listening between the lines over the phone, I gathered that my sister was acting as referee.

With a mixture of trepidation and relief that I was in a different state, I awaited the outcome. When the big day arrived, I got phone calls from exuberant relatives expressing their sheer amazement at how sparkling and lively my mother was. Everyone was having a great time. One nephew had prepared a gourmet dinner and another took everyone out for a special event the following day.

Later on, I asked my mother for her side of the story. She had been stewing over the storm of good cheer brewing around her, wondering what she could give in return. So she called a friend who she sometimes asks to pray with her when she needs help, and the friend suggested that she look for the Christ in each of her guests. What this meant, in essence, was to appreciate each person’s true God-given nature and not be distracted by personalities or commotion.

To me, the Christ was not only the spirit that permeated Jesus’ healing ministry, but was also what he saw in others. What greater gift could anyone give than this?

Reflecting on my mother’s birthday reminds me of Isaiah’s vision of a peaceable kingdom, where all of the animals will live together in harmony “and a little child shall lead them.”

I see the child in Isaiah’s prophecy as a trusting and innocent heart, open to every good possibility. Someone may say, “a little child shall lead them,” when a child does something uniquely loving or wise. But this little child doesn’t necessarily appear in the form of a youngster.

Ariel Master is a member of First Church of Christ, Scientist in Eugene. This column is coordinated by Lane Interfaith Alliance to provide inspiration, share personal spiritual experiences and offer a deeper understanding of individual faith perspectives. For information on submitting an article, visit www.laneinterfaithalliance.org.