Considerations for Christmas 2010

Considerations for Christmas 2010

The Danish theologian, Soren Kierkegaard, characterizes the incarnation of Jesus Christ as “The Great Paradox” in which a Person who is fully divine and completely human is born.  The birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, represents the intervention of eternity into time.  This mystical and inexplicable occurrence redefines human chronology.  God’s invasion of human history, through gift of the humble origins of Christ, offers humankind new meaning in life.

The season of Advent arouses a great sense of expectancy and creativity.  I consider Mary’s immortal question, “How can this be?”  How could Almighty God possibly use a poor Hebraic virgin, subjugated by the Roman government, in His grand plan of salvation for humankind?  What qualifies me to be an instrument for God’s service?  Likewise, we ask, “How can God graciously intervene in our lives and accomplish His purpose through the use of our talents and abilities?”  Mary ponders these mysterious matters in her heart.  Coinciding with the end of a year, Advent lends itself to reflection and imagination.  Will the New Year unfold with our expectation of the fulfillment of God’s promises in our daily lives?

The incarnation of Christ gives everyone an opportunity to start over.  No matter whom we are and what we have done, the gift of Jesus’ birth symbolizes new life.  God reconciles humankind to Himself in the sacrificial, invaluable and redemptive gift of Christ.  His eternal grace, unfailing love and unquestionable faithfulness transform the wreckage of our past.  We receive forgiveness for our past errors.  “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” (Romans 8:1)  Would it not be nice if many persons opened the eternal and sacred gifts of freedom from guilt, fear, punishment, and regret instead of material and earthly packages with fleeting values?  The apostle Paul assures us elsewhere that the gift of Jesus’ life potentially transforms us into “a new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Liberation theologians insist that we grasp Christ’s birth as God’s preferential treatment of the poor and the most vulnerable members of the human family.  Jesus’ birth, in a stable on a pile of straw possibly with the pungent odor of livestock and manure, rather than in a renowned teaching hospital or palace demonstrates God partiality toward the “least of these.”  Eternity invades times to redefine it in the most unexpected place utilizing one of the least expected vessels to communicate God’s salvific and transformative love.  These theologians posit that each Advent season reminds us that the Incarnation necessitates that we remove the systemic, economic, political and even religious barriers that prevent anyone from actualizing the eternal potential that God graciously gives to him in Christ.

Accordingly, we must ask Mary’s question again, “How can this be?”  In the United States, how can it be that we fail to resolve any social dilemma (education, housing, voting, racial discrimination, crime, poverty, and healthcare) though we are the most prosperous people in human history?  More significantly, we declare that we possess a better grasp of the meaning of Christ’s birth than other nations.  How can it be that we sacrificed nearly 6000 young and inexperienced lives of American military personnel (not counting the hundred of thousands of Iraq civilian casualties), expending approximately $1 trillion, without any reasonable purpose or concrete political or diplomatic accomplishments?  In the State of Tennessee, how can it be that we live “peacefully” with the denial of healthcare to 200,000 of our most vulnerable citizens some of whom’s death will certainly result from this decision?  How can it be that the residents re-elected the Governor responsible for such an incredible injustice by historic margins and proportions?  Christmas 2010, let us ask this question with the hope of finding the moral courage and spiritual strength in the gift of Christ’s birth to resolve these problems.

God in Christ reconciles humankind to Himself through the gift of personal redemption.  Practically speaking, this eternal gift empowers us to achieve inner healing and wholeness.  However, its clearest expression is most evident in the individual and collective service of all believers to create a just society so that all persons may actualize their God given potential.  Merry Christmas!