A CHRISTMAS WISH

A CHRISTMAS WISH

I’m glad there is at least a single time of the year which gives me temporary relief from the unmitigated demands of job, deadlines, pressing tasks and assignments, and this happens  every Christmas Day.  

It is  amazing  how Filipinos  simply drop their worldly concerns, and like driven cattle flock to the stores to catch up with last minute shopping so that there will be plenty of food on the table on the eve of Christmas. Important appointments are placed on hold so we can be home for Christmas. Business transactions are reset to give way to Christmas parties.

 The Catholics, by long held tradition would congregate in the churches on Christmas eve for the misa de gallo, after which the family will gather for a sumptuous meal, over loud conversations.  The Protestants hold special services on Christmas day, with  plays or concerts reflecting on the significance of the incarnation .

There is something inimitable and mysterious in the Spirit of Christmas which blows away the joy blockers. I have seen estranged couple reconcile and make up on Christmas day.  I have seen a mother’s face lit up with happiness at the homecoming of a son or daughter who has been away, for a long time.  Selfishness is held in check  by some unknown force, as generosity overflows,  and compassion is shown. Anger is restrained and love is felt. The rebels and the government forces declare a unilateral ceasefire.  

Christmas indeed is paying homage to the Savior who being  truly God without beginning or end,  stepped out of eternity and came down to earth so He may bring us to Himself. This is the miracle of Christmas. My wish is that Christ will be born in each and every heart today,  and find room in our lives, for there was no room for Him the first time He came. God Bless you my dear friend.

GOD WILL SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT

When I went to worship last Sunday, the first person who greeted me at the gates was my friend a young Minister of the Gospel  whose life is a living example of unwavering faith.

My friend has been ailing for years. His doctors have pronounced that he wouldn’t last long, and yet, he’s still around. Every now and then he would be admitted to the Hospital, uncertain if he would ever survive but by God’s Grace and loving kindness, he  would  check out, come back and  return  to his ministry. 

He has no doubt that he survives only by the mercy of an all powerful  God whom he humbly serves . As I looked at him and clasped his hand, he radiated so much joy and peace which was infectious, that even the cares and anxieties which weighed me down had vanished, bringing lightness to my soul. 

This simple man of God is a personal  inspiration to me.  He is a living testimony that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. Beneath his frail body is the inner strength which sustains him to unconditionally trust and  obey our Lord Jesus Christ, our Healer and Comforter.   

As I reflect on the life of this man, I cannot help but join in the chorus of questioning minds, why a righteous servant of God would be allowed to suffer terrible infirmity, while around him  the ungodly, the wicked and the corrupt live in comfort and are surrounded by public admiration.

The ancient Prophet  Jeremiah asked the same age old question :

     “Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?” (Jer. 12:1)   

The Psalmist Asaph,  was similarly  insightful in his observation :

“For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.   They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.  Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.  Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.   They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.   They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.   Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.   And they say, ‘How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?’   Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.” (Psalm 73:3-12)

The Psalmist Asaph was saying that as he looked around him he saw the ungodly and the wicked don’t seem to suffer, they have abundance, live easy,  don’t seem to struggle and are not afflicted. Worst, the result of their prosperity did not make them any more thankful to God for on the contrary their prosperity caused them to be proud, arrogant,  self sufficient and haughty  that they felt no need for God  rejecting His existence.

But at the end of his musings the Psalmist was given discernment and understanding.  Beyond the artificial self sufficiency of the wicked, God has set them up in slippery places that they will fall into ruin. Even though they seem to have made it in this world,  they will be utterly swept away.

    

Asaph, by stroke of insight when he went to the  sanctuary of God, went on  to declare :

“But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,   until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.   Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.   How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!”(vv. 17-19)

Seeing this weak and infirm friend whose only taste of luxury is to be the recipient of God’s mercy and grace, yes indeed I am inspired and  strengthened by the resolve of this righteous man.  One day God will set the record straight.

POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF CHRISTMAS

POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF CHRISTMAS

The narratives in Scripture from which the Christmas story is based, depict a political milieu where a powerful and despotic Ruler of an Empire lord it over  their poor and pitiful subjects.

Matthew’s version begins with the genealogy of our Lord  which identifies His lineage from the Jewish line of the Shepherd King David comprising 14 generation  from Abraham to David and another 14 generations from David to the Christ. There is something innately political in this ancestry since the infant Jesus traces His ancestry to the Hebrew royalty and the prophecy tells of his coming to take the throne of his father David.

Herod  was the king of Judea a Roman Satellite ruler, during the birth of Christ. A mad man,  incurably paranoid, he was a cruel king and his acts of merciless brutality even extended to the execution of his own family members whom he perceived to be a threat to his crown. It was not surprising that the news of the birth of the King of the Jews, robbed him of sleep, as he raged, ranted and raved to find out where this King is for he believed that he was the only acknowledged ruler of the Jews.

It is pathetic that from the time of birth of our Savior, He had become a refugee, a political exile seeking refuge in a foreign land. When Joseph and Mary took the Child to Egypt slipping away from the clutches of this murderous king, one of the most cruel massacres of innocent children, was committed by this raving lunatic, an act which would have been considered today as a crime against humanity.

The politics of  Christmas is neither joyful nor festive. It is  a sad narrative of persecution, death and grief. In this setting God is not on the side of the powerful in palaces. Cesar Augustus the Roman emperor and patron of Herod, was widely known also as “savior” as he was famous for his pacification campaign leading his vast and fearsome army. The juxtaposition of the birth of Christ during the reign of this Roman savior  is replete with political implication. God moves not among the rulers, but is on the side of the weak and the powerless.

Mary’s Magnificat contains a political statement:

 "[God] has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty"…

As one observer sharply commented,   “The gospel writers repeatedly emphasize the political implications of the birth of Jesus, but we fail to hear them through the clamor of jingle bells.” (Elizabeth Hunter)

AN INVITATION TO CONNECT

Facebook and the rest of the social networking sites have considerably changed our lives.

On the positive side, they have brought healing to the emotional pain of disconnectedness, self worth to those who long for expression and attention, boldness to the timid, and belongingness to the estranged.

 I believe there are some personality issues I struggle with, which have been straightened out in the process of interacting with humans in all their weaknesses, virtues, and diversities, through this fascinating technology.  My manic introvertion  has  been surprisingly moderated, at least, and I could beat after  a great deal of struggle, my severe shyness.  

People  long for approval  and sad to say this is a rare commodity in broken homes and families  where love is absent, in a society where cruelty, anger, and selfishness abound.

 I am moved to reflect  that God designed us to be connected. The Book of Genesis, declares,  “It is not good for man to be alone.”  Our Lord and Redeemer was born into a humble human family, and dwelt among men.  While at times we see Him to be a solitary figure praying and talking to His Father in the mountains alone, He lived and walked with His disciples.  His serene connection with His disciples gave them  peace and joy, that this world couldn’t give nor understand.

 I am glad that the Almighty has blessed mankind with the technology  where we can be connected with each other overcoming  the limits of time and space.  But the greatest connection we need to have is our connection with the Lord Jesus Christ, whose birth the entire Christendom is celebrating, this season. He is the Christ in Christmas.  As a Christian I am driven to witness for Him, and may I invite you to connect with Him, by accepting Him as Lord and Savior.  He will give you that peace which surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7). He will give you rest.( Matt. 11:28) He will fill you with all joy and peace that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.( Romans 15:13.)

Blaise Pascal once said there is that restlessness in man that only God can fill. St. Augustine said there is a hole in one’s heart and soul that only God can fill.

The life of a Christian is defined by a relationship with Christ. 

Christ  said, ”Behold I stand at the door and knock. Anyone who hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me. (Rev. 3:20)

What a wonderful promise of  fellowship.

 Christ said, “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you  and  learn from  Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29) 

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing."(John 15:5)     

The highest connection of all, apart from connecting with people, is the connection we have with Christ.  Add Him as your Friend, Lord, and Savior. He will confirm His promises.