Come Down, Meet Humans, Lift up the Fallen Dignity

 


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.

   Merry Christmas!



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