Greetings,
The Day After. What do we do now? Return the gifts for something better. Spend the money. Eat the leftovers. Break the toys.
Christ is born: give him glory!
Christ has come down from heaven: receive him!
Christ is now on earth: exalt him!
O you earth, sing to the Lord!
O you nations, praise him in joy, for he has been glorified.
Go back to the way we were before the “Christmas spirit” got hold of us and we started being nice instead of naughty. Stop sending cards and notes of good cheer. Put our canned goods back on the shelf until next Thanksgiving/Christmas when once more we will offer our miss-bought canned yams for the hungry. The lonely go back to being lonely. Sing songs of heartache and heartbreak, of anger and lust, instead of peace and good will. Return to caring for me and mine, to looking askance at those of other race, or age, or clothes, or just ugly.
The Church recognizes this sudden shift from Joyous Celebration to recognition of the harsh reality of life lived in the midst of ordinary sin and strife. December 26 is the feast day of St. Stephen, the first martyr. December 27 is the feast of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, with remembrance of his exile, and drinking of the poisoned wine. December 28 is the feast of the Holy Innocents, the children of Bethlehem killed by Herod. The Glorious Birth of Light and Life is followed by the evil of this world. Yet, in the midst of understanding the reality of the world, the Church continues to celebrate the Justice, Peace, Love and Joy of our new-born Savior, Most of the radio stations stopped playing Christmas music at midnight. The rush to make returns and to search for great after Christmas bargains. That very special magic in the ear
What is our December 26 like? Our December 27? Our December 28? Do greed, selfishness, self-centeredness, even strife and violence (real or desired) take over? Surely not for us good folk, us Christians, us faithful. Or do they?
I must be very intentional about asking myself these questions and about being very deliberate in my determination to not let the old self take over from the new birth I have experienced in the Christmas event. May Jesus, born in Bethlehem and raised from the dead, help us and be with us always. May we, each of you and me, having experienced new birth now experience new growth in the will and power of God.
Yours & His,
DED
No comments:
Post a Comment