What the World Needs Now…
It’s not getting for Christmas.
This blog was originally going to be a continuation of my previous blog about the lack of love in evangelical mission statements, but I scrapped that idea, to look for a more festive topic. Perhaps we’ll return to that after the new year, but for this week let’s explore the spirit of Christmas. Perhaps something about being kinder, gentler and more loving toward each other. So, I chose to address the promise of…
HOPE
It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that the world we live in is broken. Perhaps it’s always be broken, but now, with the internet, we’re keenly aware and reminded on a daily basis of its global brokenness. Everybody, everywhere is dealing with they own version of brokenness but unlike two centuries ago what’s happening in the Middle East or in Ukraine or in Africa matters to the entire world. Even, in the United States (the land of plenty) we have our own brand of brokenness. We are a divided nation. That’s really nothing new for us. We’ve been divided before, but this division feels like it’s approaching the breaking point. Sometimes the endless, constant flow of humans hating and being cruel to each other leaves us (me) with a deep sense of hopelessness.
One would think that in a worldwide pandemic, when the whole world was reeling from an attack by a common enemy, (called COVID-19) we would be able to find it in ourselves to be kinder, gentler and more loving toward each other. But that’s not what happened, at least not here in the United States. Some people, following a leader who thrives on division, decided that it was a time to sow even more division, more hate and more ugliness.
What we witnessed during such a challenging time as the pandemic, was that it brought out the best of humanity in some and conversely the worst of humanity in others. So, where do we find hope and healing in a broken and divided world? Christmas? There has to be some hope in the magic of Christmas.
Can Hope be found in the Christmas message?
In my youth I loved Christmas. What child wouldn’t? There was excitement, and anticipation and let’s not forget… presents to open. It was a magical time. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so full of promise and of hope. Every Christmas I would read the nativity story (as found in the Book of Luke) and still to this day can recite it from memory.
Christmas Past
Take a minute to read it. If you’re a secularist, go ahead and read it anyway. It won’t hurt you and I’m not trying to convert you.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”. Luke 2 KJV
Did you know…?
Did you know that the first two chapters of Luke, including the nativity story, were not included in the oldest version we have of the book of Luke (dating back to the middle of the second century). Luke’s story of the life of Jesus originally started with the teachings of John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus (in what we now call chapter 3). The first time the nativity story became a part of the book of Luke was not until the third century.
As a secularist, I now understand that the entire nativity story in the book of Luke is completely fictional, we know that, but one has to admit that it’s a great piece of prose and I used to love the message so full of hope. “Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy” with the promise of “Peace on earth, good will toward men.” Then one day, after walking away from christianity, it finally hit me that the promise of Christmas “Peace on earth and good will toward men” has yet to be realized.
Peace on Earth and good will toward men?
I mean, when in its 2,000-year history, has christianity actually produced peace on earth and good will toward men? When we stop to consider how many people have died in the name of religion, the numbers are staggering. It might be time to admit that after centuries of waiting and hoping, we are not going to get “peace on earth, good will toward men” from christianity or any other religion.
Christmas Present
We might want to think that those days of killing others simply because they believe something different, are in the past. But in fact, many current day evangelicals are still full of hope and are eagerly awaiting the day when Jesus will return. Another glorious day in the history of christianity because He is coming to destroy all of their enemies. Wonder how the angels might address that event.
“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Oops, scratch that part which shall be to all people… which shall be to all christians, oops wrong again, scratch that, which shall be to all christians… which shall be to all white evangelical christians. Yeah, that’s better. Jesus has come to destroy all your enemies including, gays, progressives, liberals, democrats, and Muslims. Then there will be peace on earth and good will toward whoever is left.”
I recently discovered a christian blogger who wrote this, “The kingdom of God (when it finally comes on earth) knows no injustice, no racism, no inequality, and no cruelty.” Christians believe that when God’s kingdom arrives on earth, (which will be soon) God will destroy all of their enemies (i.e. anyone who doesn’t believe what they do, or have the same color skin as them). So, of course a post-apocalyptic society won’t have any of these injustices. The cruelty of destroying millions of innocent lives will have already happened. And as a result what remains will be a homogenous society in which there will be no need for inequality; everyone will have the same beliefs and look the same. Also, I would imagine the world will be less crowded and real estate would be cheaper, because there will be lots of empty houses.
As convenient as it might be to wish for such a homogenous society, we need a better plan. Preferably one that doesn’t include slaughtering a majority of the human race.
Christmas yet to come.
Where can we find hope at Christmas?
For the past two weeks I have been struggling with what to say in this Christmas blog. I was planning to use the bible to admonish christians to stop obsessing with mankind’s “sinfulness and total depravity” and instead to encourage them to focus on being kinder, gentler and more loving. I sat at my computer for hours composing multiple drafts, and staring at the blinking curser on a yet another blank page, but nothing felt right. I realized that what I needed was some kind of inspiration.
It’s impossible to know where inspiration might come from, but mine showed up in the most unusual way.
Recently on a last-minute shopping adventure before the big day, I serendipitously discovered a children’s book entitled ABCs of Kindness. I picked it up, thumbed through it and discovered 26 ways to show kindness, and the best part is that it was written so a three-year-old could understand.
It contains no theology, no directive from God to love our enemies, no guilt trip to manipulate children and no religious indoctrination. What it does contain is 26 ways we can be kinder to one another.
I had found my inspiration… in a book written for children.
Without getting too preachy, here’s hoping we can make “good will toward men” last for more than one day. Perhaps a good place to start is by teaching our children to be kind and modeling that behavior ourselves. Civility matters.
In closing:
If you haven’t seen the French movie Joyeux Noel, I would highly recommend it. It’s a story based on real events of WWI combatants who decided to call a cease fire for Christmas Eve, came out of their trenches and shared a Christmas Mass together. It’s an inspiring story that shows what can happen when sworn enemies laid down their weapons and picked up their humanity.
Merry Christmas / Frohe Weihnachten / Joyeux Noel
From Where I Stand
Dale Crum
mt.toll@comcast.net