Twas the Night Before

Well, off one day. Tomorrow is the true night before Christmas, but I don’t post on the blog on Saturdays anymore.

The eve of any day is the evening before the next day. Easy to remember yet we rarely think of it this way. New Year’s Eve, Christmas Eve, those two eves are embedded in the American social experience. Of course, Christmas is fixed on Christians, but the holiday has become a social celebration unhitched to theology unless you are a Christian and understand what that means.

I say this, because many people claim Christianity as their religion, yet they are ill-educated in the specific religion, practice it not on most Sundays, and generally don’t pay much attention to the main tenets of this specific theology.

In summary, Christianity is a theological perspective that claims Christ came from a virgin birth (Mary the mother, God the father). Because Christ had DNA from both a god and an earthling, he is a hybrid that demonstrates God’s love for mankind, and the holy powers of Christ to transcend the purely human. The resurrection is the primary symbol of this miracle of hybrid-ness.

The teachings of Christ are purportedly the primary purpose God arranged the miracle birth. If this person – Christ – is part God, then he has authority among mankind to speak God’s truth. These truths boil down to two primary statements of belief:

a.       Love one another as you love yourself

b.       Treat others as you wish to be treated

That’s it. From these two the cornerstones of Christianity are set. Everything else flows from these two.

So, at Christmastime, we are to give gifts to others to show our love for others and hope to receive gifts to demonstrate others love for us. Who doesn’t like a gift? So, the traditional took root and we have what we have today.

The catch in all of this is the simple fact that what constitutes a gift if rarely the same for each person. Sometimes the gift is an act. Other times it is a physical thing given to the other person. Oftentimes the gift is essentially the presence of each other in their lives.

Mindfulness of others, needs of others, freely helping others while not expecting a return in kind, is the truest gift of all. In the time of war, a truce for 24 hours is a commonality on Christmas Day. A strong gift this is. Not always possible of course, but wouldn’t it be nice if this translated into peace at just the right moment in so many other instances?

As I ponder that thought, I wish you all a peaceful and joyous holiday season regardless of your religious tradition.

December 23, 2022

  

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