A Christmas Wish

Christmas has become a time for wishes, of dreaming about things that we want. Sadly, Christmas has become more about us, and less about the One whose arrival it is supposed to celebrate. We wish one another a Merry Christmas, probably without stopping to think what it means to say that. The child who arrived in our world so long ago did not remain a child. Nor did he say what people wanted, or expected, him to say. He walked a difficult road, thought about others almost exclusively, and allowed his life to be taken from him, on behalf of others. This is the One we should be celebrating this holiday season. But, alas, it is not. I watched a news program last night that encouraged people to buy more gifts, even if they did not have the money, so that the economy could flourish. I read in today's paper that not one of our local government officials thinks that any new gun laws should be passed in the wake of the Newtown tragedy. It is so easy to become discouraged these days, because it seems that, for many who call themselves Christian, the faith means some form of patriotic affirmation, not a prophetic proclamation. But I remain an optimist, and believe that the Christian message will come to its full fruition someday. I doubt that I will live to see it, but, perhaps something I do in my life will give someone else the energy and inspiration to keep on keeping on. I know that is what keeps me going. I can think of so many whose example of selfless service and true devotion to the cause of the Christian faith have inspired me. I do believe that the message of Christmas is a life- changing and world-renewing one. So, in wishing you a Merry Christmas, I am affirming that God is still at work, in you and me. Therefore, hope endures and it is a good holiday season. Peace to you and yours, and may you, and I, never get comfortable with our faith.

Advent Hope

It so happens that I will be conducting a funeral in Rooke Chapel this weekend. I thought back to my days serving a small parish in Western Pennsylvania, and it seemed that we always had a number of funerals in December. As a matter of fact, some of the most tragic, or funerals of people with whom I was close, took place at this time of year. How sad to have a funeral in Advent. Or is it? Well, from a human relations point of view, any funeral, any loss, is hard for anyone, no matter what time of year it occurs. But it can seem especially difficult during this time of year, when everyone is making Christmas preparations. Is there a word of grace for those who experience loss during the holiday season? Yes, I believe that there is. Advent is a time of preparation when Christians are called upon to examine the depth of their faith: "What do I expect from the Messiah? Do I believe that the Messiah has indeed come? Was Jesus the one, or are we to wait for another?" Although grief can make us numb for quite some time, it is still appropriate to speak words of hope. The One promised from God has come, and will come again to fulfill the promise that the Kingdon of God will, finally, come upon the earth. So, we are to be vigilant, aware, lest we miss Him. If anything, when speaking to someone who has experienced a loss during Advent, we can remind them that God has not forgotten us, or them. Christmas is confirmation that God chose not to abandon an unfaithful people, but rather, that God chose to come and be among us, as one of us. And God's beloved one also died. So, there is no pain that we can experience that God has not also experienced. This Advent and Christmas season can be a time in which we can all listen for the voice of the One crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord!" We can help to prepare the way for Him by standing with those who are experiencing grief, or loss this holiday season. It is not enough to pray for them, we must stand with them, so that they can more fearlessly find a safe and quiet place of their own in which to listen for the One who is to come.The darkness is less threatening when we have a friend to walk through it with us.

Would the Prince of Peace Be For or Against Gun Control?

Now that I have your attention, I admit that the question asked above is foolish. How can we project our societal ills back over two-thousand years? Sadly, folks on many sides of all manner of social issues have been doing just that for years. Since Jesus had no idea what a gun is since guns did not exist back then, nor did gun powder, the question is moot. But if we ask whether Jesus would approve of our bent towards violence, the question becomes at least a bit easier to address. Jesus did address the concept of violence on more than one occasion: there is the infamous "Turn the other cheek" reference, as well as his dressing down of the disciple who took a sword and cut off the ear of the Roman soldier in the garden. I have to wonder, though, if Jesus was to appear in the flesh and ask if we have any questions, and we ask what he thinks of violence, just what would his response be? Would he shake his head and walk away, as if we should not even have to ask the question? Would he admit that times have changed greatly since his time on earth and so the ways we must protect ourselves also have to change? I imagine that any one of us could fashion a response by Jesus that would suit our world view. But the truth is, we cannot command him to appear and have it happen. So, the best we can do is to seek to understand truly what he taught, and then do our best to apply it to our lives. So, when I say that I am opposed to private ownership of guns, which I am, I cannot claim that Jesus told me to hold that opinion. However, I can say that I cannot reconcile the personal possession of a handgun with the Gospel of peace as I understand it. You can disagree with me, and we can call it a draw. But each one of us will walk away convinced that his or her view is the correct one. During this season when we prepare to welcome the Prince of Peace, I think it is a good time to think about our propensity toward violence in all forms. We have lost a salient part of the message of the Christ, and it is probably easier to argue about whose opinion is the correct one than it is to work to arrive at what will prove to be God's will. Of course, that is subjective as well, so there would have to be some manner of measuring whose way is the one connected to God's will. How about this one: the violence stops!