Incarnation Day
As he wanders further and further from addressing the questions he posed of a couple of days ago, Ali gets caught up in the wonder of Christmas. Christmas...the time of year where radio personalities remind us that the real meaning of Christmas is forgiveness and good family feelings...
[Warning: ramble ahead. Unedited. Interrupted by dinner. Probably will remain that way.]
Ever notice that non-Christians expect everyone to act like Jesus at Christmas? "Come on, give him some money. It's Christmas." "Nobody should be alone at Christmas." "Can't you forgive her? It is Christmas, after all!" Why? Because Christmas is a time of forgiveness and peace and good-will to all men. But while they may hear that year after year in the Carols they sing, non-Christians have totally missed the point.
Is Christmas a time of forgiveness and peace and good-will to all men? Yes, but it is that because Jesus has come to earth to live and die and be resurrected - that is the only way you're going to get forgiveness, peace and good-will and it's the only way you will be able to truly give it to others. Non-Christians want the benefits of living in a Christian community without actually living in a Christian community.
What is more, they base a change of behaviour on a time of year. But how can you decide to be nice and forgiving just because it is a certain time of year? I think many of us can testify to the fact that as much as we would like to spend a joyous, harmonious time with others at Christmas, the reality is that the expectations drive our blood pressures up and the whole period is more stressful than any other time of the year. Trying to generate feelings of good-will and brotherhood with people you may not really know that well; trying to be pleasant to people you actually find incredibly irritating and may not even like; that's asking a lot of people. And it is exactly that truth that Jesus came to help us with: we cannot be righteous without Him.
So, remember, if you want to be forgiving and spread peace and good-will, don't try to be empowered by the time of year, be empowered by Jesus Christ, and you will find that you are able to be that way all year.
[Warning: ramble ahead. Unedited. Interrupted by dinner. Probably will remain that way.]
Ever notice that non-Christians expect everyone to act like Jesus at Christmas? "Come on, give him some money. It's Christmas." "Nobody should be alone at Christmas." "Can't you forgive her? It is Christmas, after all!" Why? Because Christmas is a time of forgiveness and peace and good-will to all men. But while they may hear that year after year in the Carols they sing, non-Christians have totally missed the point.
Is Christmas a time of forgiveness and peace and good-will to all men? Yes, but it is that because Jesus has come to earth to live and die and be resurrected - that is the only way you're going to get forgiveness, peace and good-will and it's the only way you will be able to truly give it to others. Non-Christians want the benefits of living in a Christian community without actually living in a Christian community.
What is more, they base a change of behaviour on a time of year. But how can you decide to be nice and forgiving just because it is a certain time of year? I think many of us can testify to the fact that as much as we would like to spend a joyous, harmonious time with others at Christmas, the reality is that the expectations drive our blood pressures up and the whole period is more stressful than any other time of the year. Trying to generate feelings of good-will and brotherhood with people you may not really know that well; trying to be pleasant to people you actually find incredibly irritating and may not even like; that's asking a lot of people. And it is exactly that truth that Jesus came to help us with: we cannot be righteous without Him.
So, remember, if you want to be forgiving and spread peace and good-will, don't try to be empowered by the time of year, be empowered by Jesus Christ, and you will find that you are able to be that way all year.
posted by Ali at 5:36 PM
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