Saturday, October 27, 2018

WHY I’M NOT SAYING MERRY CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR


WHY I’M NOT SAYING MERRY CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR



Forget the commercialism of Christmas, which we rail against the same way we rail against negative political ads: righteously, loudly, while making no changes.



Forget the “War on Christmas”. In my view, the only war on Christmas is the one that turns a revolutionary act of power arising from the edge of the margins into a triumphant celebration of how good and generous we are (and how “persecuted” we are as Christians in the U.S., which is utter nonsense).



That’s not the reason I’m not saying Merry Christmas this year.  It is because of the way we treat Jesus.  This is what I might say:



“Bless Jesus, who was poor, a migrant, a Jew, a refugee from violence, homeless.” Doesn’t seem as cheerful as “Merry Christmas”?  Well, the birth of Jesus was a joyful, transforming event in the midst of poverty, violence and racism.  His parents had to travel because of an emperor who thought he could control the world and all people in it.  He was born in a barn because no one gave them shelter.  He sought sanctuary in a foreign country because of a murderous king. 



Better yet, I think I will say, “Bless Jesus who is poor, a migrant, a Jew, a refugee from violence, homeless.”  Because as a Christian, I believe that Jesus rose from the dead, is alive in us and in the world, and especially to be found in the poor, persecuted and outcast.



To my friends who are not followers of Jesus, I bless you.  And I say to everyone, regardless of what you believe, don’t you think the power of the world, the hope of the world, the love of the world should be, and is, standing side by side, living and dying with the poor, migrants, Jews, refugees, victims of violence, homeless, trans and every other person who is condemned, violated or refused?



Pittsburgh. The MAGA bomber.  Yemen.  The caravan. Matthew Shepard. Khashoggi. Vicky Lee Jones and Maurice Stallard in Jeffersontown. That’s where my Christmas Jesus was just this week: being born, living, rejoicing, suffering, dying, and dare we hope, rising in us.



Be Justice        Be Beauty       Be with Jesus by being with those where he is





Patrick