Rejoice! a child is born for us. This new born child
is a joy to the world. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our
God through the birth of this holy child. The birth of this child united
humanity with divinity and broke centuries into B.C and A.D. let us together
rejoice as the light of the world has overthrown the darkness today.
Christmas is a celebration of the beginning of new
life. But we are celebrating Christmas towards the end every year. This year
Christmas celebration comes as a belief that the darkness of covid-19 pandemic
and it related sufferings are coming to an end and sets our lives in a hope
that new life is dawning. In this context the story of Christmas itself becomes
relevant and the celebration of the same draws us to deep reflection on the
story of Christmas.
Ø Christmas is a story of God coming down to meet human
Ø Christmas is a story of God greeting human in human form
(as human)
Ø Christmas is a story of God raising humanity to divinity
1)
Christmas is a story of God coming down to meet human
On Christmas Day, God came down to meet humans whom
he had created with love in His image. God came down to earth as human in a
time when humans forgot God as the source of their living due to which there
prevailed human indignity, irresponsibility and loss of self-esteem. God coming
down and taking human form serves as a proof that God has special place for
humans in His creation. The incarnation sets human species as higher and sacred
from other species, thus requires reverence and holiness. Jesus’ life on earth
restored human dignity; for He embraced the sinner, lifted up the downtrodden
and welcomed the outcast. Jesus’ life on earth ensured responsibility; for He was
resolute in His preaching, committed to His mission and faithfully played His
role in the history of salvation. Jesus’ life on earth won self-esteem; for His
life demanded respect from authorities, admiration from wise and fascination
from the poor.
Today humans are trafficked, their lives are
experimented and their bodies are exploited. All these are happening because we
have lost the sacredness, reverence and holy fear that we ought to have both
toward God and neighbor. Our acknowledgment of the presence of divine element
in our lives will lead us to orderly and disciplined life. Our awakening to the
worthiness of human being will transform our actions towards fellow human
being. Our ensuring of human dignity and respect toward others will compel our
neighbours to value both us and everyone with love. Christmas is a call to this
acknowledging, awakening, and ensuring.
2)
Christmas is a story of God greeting human in human form (as human)
In the old testament the relationship between God
and man was one of hierarchy. God did not want our relationship to remain in
that level for ever. He desired the relationship to be without fear, difference,
dominion and inequality. Thus, he became man, like one of us and one among us
to relate with us. He made his presence with us as human (in human form) so
that the relationship between Him and us will be based on love and without
fear. God, the omnipotent Himself realized the need of physical presence for
the relationship. If so, what about us? His birth as human valued relationship
and stressed the importance of physical presence.
The individuality that we seek, the relationship
that we make based on likes and comments are not true to our nature as human.
We need others in our lives; relationship without physical presence has no
genuine feeling, trust, honesty and transparency. The misunderstandings,
doubts, hostility and so on be easily eliminated if there is a relationship
with physical presence. God on Christmas day greeted human beings physically as
the other person who also demands greeting in response. This pandemic has
taught us that the individuality that we seek is only leading us to loneliness
and stress. Life excluding the presence of the other only makes our lives worse
and critical. Christmas calls us to true relationship between one another that
is based on love without any fear, difference, dominion, oppression and
inequality. Moreover, let our presence enhance the relationship. Let us greet
the other as human.
3)
Christmas is a story of God raising humanity to divinity
The incarnation not only made God humbled to be man
but also raised the status of human beings to divinity. There is a saying; “to
forget is human and to forgive is divine.” Christmas is the fulfillment of
promise that God made to the people of Israel, to their ancestors and
patriarchs. God did not forget His promise. Jesus’ life on earth was to forgive
sinners and restore the fallen humanity. His compassion toward the poor,
kindness toward children, gentleness toward sinners and humbleness toward His
persecutors brought revolution to the way the humans led their lives. He
instilled humanity with love. He founded the kingdom of God that is being built
everyday with our love for one another.
Jesus’ touch for the lepers, welcome for the
Samaritans, healing for the paralytic, consoling words for the discouraged and
preaching for the poor lifted them all up from their status. His birth in a
manger shamed the rich and lifted up the lowly. The incarnation teaches us that
to become divine is not to go outside human existence rather it consist in
living our humanity with our full capacity. Jesus did this in His life on
earth. He exhibited all the qualities of human. His coming down as human gave
rise to many in Israel, as Simeon had prophesied. Christmas is a call to touch
the lives of our neighbours by actively participating in their joys and
sufferings.
The birth of Jesus brought good news to shepherds
and wonder to wise men. The life of Jesus inspired authorities and gave hope to
the lost sheep’s. The passion and death of Jesus confronted the worldly values
of punishment and reward with forgiveness and justice. The resurrection of
Jesus brought new way of life. Today as we celebrate the beginning of this
revolutionary life, let us allow the story of Christmas to shape our lives. This
pandemic has worsened the lives of many. The sufferings of ordinary and poor
people have doubled. As God came down on Christmas day, let us go down to streets and slums to greet people as humans. Let our encounter with them make them feel
that their lives are as important as ours and ensure them that they too have right to dignity.
May the new born child bless us with the grace to go down, greet the other as human and lift
up the dignity which has fallen due to the rupture created by many individualistic
and selfish world views.
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