Irony occurs when something is said or done which is the opposite of what is expected. Simply unexpected things are not ironic, like a man walking and slipping on a banana peel. But when a guy who prides himself on being nimble puts on traction shoes and then walks out the door and biffs, that’s ironic. We are used to complaining ironies—“like rain on your wedding day.” But this is not a hipster season (or message) full of cynical ironies. This is Christmas, the irony of the eternal God who was born in time, the Omnipotent who became a helpless baby, the Love who swallowed up the hatred of his enemies by his own death. Anthony Esolen calls these the irony of time, the irony of power, and the irony of love. They became incarnate at Christmas.