It's that time of the year, and once again a part of me sneers, "bah humbug!" each time I hear the syrupy seasonal soundtrack blasting from another store, or witness the waste of carbon-based electricity powering all those multi-colored light displays that have been sprouting up everywhere since the day after Halloween. Not to mention the over-hyped merchandise being peddled from every screen and storefront in sight. Happy Holi-Daze, indeed!
JOY TO THE WORLD
Yet another part of me is filled with joy at the thought of the approaching Holy Days. I'm eager to sing those lively carols once more, even though some of the lyrics clash with my personal theology. It'll be fun visiting with family and friends at the various parties and potlucks we'll attend, as we celebrate the fact that we've lived through another year and make cheerful toasts to the future.
This year, I'm particularly looking forward to hearing (and sharing) the re-telling of the Nativity story, that improbable-but-compelling tale of the Christ Child, who was born in mysterious circumstances two thousand years ago and died only thirty-three years later, but somehow is still being re-born again and again in our post-modern culture. I'll be listening with fresh ears, having just completed a fall semester course on the historical and sociological context of the New Testament at Trinity University. The more time I've spent searching beyond the shadows created by the "churching" of my strict Protestant childhood and delving into the mysteries surrounding Jesus' life and teachings, the more I appreciate how much I don't understand about Christ, much less Christianity - or Christmas.
FOLLOWING YONDER STAR
The late Indian Jesuit priest and author, Anthony de Mello famously said, "Life is not a puzzle to be solved, but a mystery to be contemplated" - to which I've taken the liberty of adding "... and, the story of Christmas is not a puzzle to be solved, but a mystery to be contemplated."
So, in the coming weeks I'll do my best to remember that these various parts of me don't have to be at war. It's okay to be cynical about the commercialized trappings of the Holiday Season, while also feeling joyful about the possibility of integrating the mysterious lessons of Christmas more fully than ever before. To come to peace with my Christian upbringing, while welcoming what other spiritual teachers and wisdom traditions have to tell us about being more fully human at this time of the year, too. Why not?
In any event, I wish you a blessed Holiday Season, too.
With blessings,
Rudi
THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.
No comments:
Post a Comment