Friends -
I’m taking this opportunity to hop onto my soapbox and bid all that read a merry Christmas, whether you believe in Christ or not. Mind you, I don’t intend to do this as an intellectual, spiritual or religious shellaccing. Neither, as you know, am I worried about being PC. No, I bid you this happiness because I have to submit to my faith and my convictions. Whether you believe in the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth or not, I extend the hope of happiness now and in the year to come, because I am responsible to what I believe. It is what I believe He bids ALL: to be joyous and to set aside differences and to remember the poor and outcast.
I feel particularly responsible to impart this message at this time, and especially at the end of this divisive year. As I believe God, by way of my faith, has granted me a full life, one that has been blessed in many ways, I feel it incumbent upon me to represent that faith. For those that do not believe, I hope that I have done what I could to present Christianity as a force for good, not an excuse for force. As a a Christian, I want to demonstrate what I believe the Child of Bethlehem was made incarnate for. My hope is that with all the negative press Christianity has gotten at the hands of the so-called Christian Right. The God, the Christ I believe in was and is not about manifest destiny, hatred of your enemies and other Phariseic ideas that this movement espouses.
Here is a Child born in poverty, rejected by His hometown, eventually abandoned by His friends and crucified as an enemy of the state.He died the death of a criminal, not that of one who is lauded by his superiors. This sacrifice is not a carte blanche to do whatever you please, and most especially in His name. There seems to be a real bankruptcy of humility within the ranks of the Christian Right. There’s too much emphasis on a Victory that they misuse and not enough focus on the whole experience of Life, Death and Resurrection. I believe that Christ triumphed over death because He is Love and Truth made flesh, Who dwelt among us. There could be no other outcome. His Triumph is not one of the soldier who crushes his foes in arrogance, soaking in the blood of others. His Triumph is without comparison, save that of the friend that stands in path of the oncoming bullet, saving lives through His own Blood - and so much more.
It seems to me that the point of Christianity is the imitation of Christ, simply put. His enduring ethic is humility and a life in union with Truth.Too often I see (and sincerely hope I don’t adopt) an attitude of “the debt’s been paid - ok, see ya later; I gotta go straighten everyone else out” and not one of “Thank You, God. Wow. Thank You so much. Now - what can I do for You?”, to which the response is ever and always, “Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the prisoner”, etc.
Well, you know what I mean…
Merry Christmas.