I do not enjoy being serious. It's typically not my style. But when Christmas comes, it seems right to express how blessed I am on a fine public forum like Al Gore's internet. For this one time and one time only, I must put down my guard when it comes to the content of this website. It is the policy of this site to avoid comment on 1. Politics, 2. Religion, and 3. the inner workings of the female brain. Later on, policy #2 is going to be breached...big time. Disciples of Darwin and Dawkins, consider yourself notified.
Sometimes my tongue and cheek approach to the greatness that is America may seem a bit ambiguous, but I want to make it clear how glad I am to be living in the United States of America. Thank God we can worship who/what we want, when we want. Thank God we can wish friends and family a "Merry Christmas" without being persecuted. I know the ever-increasing political correctness of the nation may seem like a terrible thing to some, but let's get real: Generally speaking, if you want to wish someone a "Merry Christmas" instead of saying "Happy Holidays," you can do it. If you want to wish someone a "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy Chinese New Year," you can do it. And, even though your religious greetings may occasionally start a heated discussion in this country, they will not land you in prison. Thank God.
This Christmas, many of us are still adjusting to this new American economy. My current apartment, which 2 years ago I wouldn't have considered fit to live in, has become a quaint blessing. I no longer have cable. I unplug every electrical device in my place when I leave for the day. The heat is hardly ever turned on. As it turns it out, I can be just as warm if I just wear sweat pants and a sweat shirt while lounging around as I could be running the heat 24/7 and lounging in my birthday suit. I can't eat out much any more, but I haven't gone hungry one day in my life. Thank God.
I hope all of you are fortunate enough to have a great family like mine. To say that my family loves me would be a gross understatement. My mother and father are blessed people that have done absolutely everything humanly imaginable to make sure that I am safe, healthy,and happy. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. are amazing people with terrific stories, ideas, and backgrounds that have shaped and influenced me. My brother is my best friend. My good friends, new and old, are people that I can trust my life to, and I hope they know I care for them just as deeply. Whether I am having a good day or a bad day, I know I am being loved at all times. Thank God.
Sometimes, I try to put everything in perspective and understand why things are the way they are...i.e. Why are things so good for me, but so bad for thousands across this country and even worse for millions around the world? I fall short of understanding these things every time I go down that mental road. As a Christian, I have complete and total faith in the Christmas story and every other story in the Bible. But, I still don't know or understand why things are the way the are. Non-Christians take issue with belief like mine in a world like ours, and believe it or not, I understand their point of view. It makes no sense. What pains me the most is seeing some Christians condemn others for their lifestyles, political affiliations, sexual orientations, race, class, and religious preferences. No wonder some people discount Christianity and other religions for that matter.
Again, I don't understand it all, but I will advance this passage from Luke in the New Testament which is similar to the dilemmas I just explained. It's from chapter 2. Jesus was a young boy:
42When he was 12 years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." 49 "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 50 But THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND what he was saying to them.
The parallel I saw was that these two parents: Mary, heavily favored by God, and Joseph, a descendant of David also heavily favored by God...didn't understand what Jesus was up too. Similarly, I believe in Him, but I don't understand. Some question that sort of belief; others think it's stupid. That's fine. They clearly have good reasons for doing so. Not to mention, Christians are often considered hypocrites due to way they live. This is especially common around Christmas when "Christians come out of the woodwork." There's a reason they come out of the woodwork. Christmas is pretty special; it gets to people. As for the argument non-Christians have that Christians are hypocrites: Good argument. Again, I don't know why things are the way they are. What I can tell you is that if Christmas never happened, and Jesus never came to Earth, there would be only three folks allowed in heaven: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit (and maybe Santa). Either way, thanks to Christmas and Easter, they got plenty of room for hypocrites up there. Thank God.
Merry Christmas everybody!
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