The smaller something is, the closer you have to get in order to see it. That’s why the best way to view the gifts God gives at Christmas is “up close and personal.” God acts in ways that seem small so we can get a good look at the big things he’s doing. Today we see how the account of Jesus’ birth gives us certainty about the Christian faith. The events at the heart of Christianity—including Jesus’ birth—happened at real times and in real places. Because God’s salvation was carried out by a real person and for real people, the careful record of that history can fill us with certainty that God’s salvation is truly ours.