The good old Christmas tale is one to be experienced afresh every year. It strikes an inner chord in many and this is the reason why it has stubbornly persisted across eighty one generations. Whilst it is true that we have heard it recounted many times, we may not have actually paid enough attention to interpret it and apply its guidance to our everyday life.
The good old Christmas tale
The New Testament speaks of Jesus the Christ (Messiah). The authors of the books that make up these scriptures have chronicled the life of Jesus and quoted his words, his teachings. Some of the original authors walked with Jesus. The narrative about the life of Christ is, apart from all else, a huge reservoir of wisdom and compassion. It is a blueprint for people to begin to comprehend what it means to be human on this earth. It is your and my story, full of joy and sorrow, the full human experience, as good and as bad as it gets.
Jesus, the Christ is one with God the Father, the one true and loving God, creator of Heaven and earth. Christ was one with God from the beginning. Christ could have manifested, and does manifest, on earth in numerous ways. However, for the purpose of this particular event, He was born of woman, like we are. He lived and died like we do. The intention was clearly to manifest a human life as only in this way would His appearance on earth be relevant to us. Only in this way could we possibly, through empathy, learn from it and emulate it.
Christmas is primarily a time of joy. It is not often that a Messiah comes to earth in order to show us the way out of ignorance and darkness.
Each religion has its own way and approach. I believe that Christianity and western culture have been in a feedback loop for many centuries, to such a degree that they are now inseparable. We should note that the message and its divine source are necessarily of a higher order than the worldly messengers that present them to us. We all know that as humans we are fallible, so let’s take that as a given.
The message of our potential oneness with God, the message of passing through death and rising into eternal life, strikes us at the core of our being. It summons our attention in no uncertain way. I believe that this is so because it revives a memory of unity and gives us hope that we may go beyond our fragmented state of being.
The Christian path is a singular one. In my opinion thinking that following Christ’s footsteps is better or worse, or even complimentary, to other religions, is not appropriate. It is my experience that spiritual paths should not be mixed and matched. I honour and respect other religions and spiritual practices, however, to each his own. The teachings of Christ are not for the faint hearted. The way that our Saviour laid out for us is one of sacrifice and courage, of patient endurance, of resilience and redemption, of broken spirits rising fearlessly to face that which is true and real. This is who we are in the west.
The good old Christmas tale
Both our story and that of Jesus start with a miracle, the miracle of life. A child born of a woman. A new life coming into a family, celebrated by parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, great grandparents, extended family and the surrounding community. It is a joyful happening. Such is the birth of Jesus, the fruit of Mary’s womb. It is the embodiment of the future of humanity.
Gathering around a table to share a meal with our friends, our loved ones, the giving of gifts, celebrating the new hope for the world, are sacred rituals. We should remember this.
A Blessed Christmas to you all.
This article was published in the Sunday Times of Malta on the 22 December 2024
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