christmas draws nearer, and i am caught up in the magic of it. the little child born so far away calls to me, and i go in wonder. i am drawn to him and to the idea that an innocent baby could exert such a pull on so many. the fictions that surround his birth are irrelevant. he is the epitome of the rebirth that propels life onward on this planet, a son of impoverished parents living in an occupied land, destined, it would appear, to be just another of the oppressed many that surround him. yet he is so much more, growing to be one of the great moral teachers of all time, a man who many believe is the savior of the world and who others, like me, believe is worthy of being followed because his teachings run contrary to the greed, lust, hatred, bigotry, and corruption that characterize much of human existence.
this little one, lying among the farm animals in the most humble setting, calls to us to give, to gather with our loved ones in the light of a tree around the warmth of a fire in the coldest time of the year, to put aside the busyness of the world and to be still as the deep of night is still, to let go of pettiness, to be our best selves. it seems as if for a few moments on the day of his birth that there is hope that all the wrongs that beat us about the head can be righted. we rejoice in a time of giving to those we hold most dear and in receiving from them, and we ask ourselves why every day can't be like this one special day of the year. it doesn't matter if we are christians, if we believe the fairy tales that have been layered on his birth. what matters is a child who calls us to stop for a moment and take time to appreciate the mysteries of life and love.
may the joy of christmas be yours no matter your circumstances or beliefs. may there be this day that calls you to be filled with lovingkindness and compassion. may this day propel you and me into a new year filled with possibilities for a better life on this planet, a life where caring for one another takes precedence of acquiring more and more, a life that stops blaming those "others" for the problems we face, a life that puts the welfare of our planet over the acquisition of wealth. may we not see a king in the manger in bethlehem, but a child who calls us to love all humankind. shalom.
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