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A Revolutionary Christmas Message
Attached HERE is a brief essay penned
by the late John Howard Yoder, a Mennonite theologian. I read this several years
ago; it was one of many Advent/Christmas essays contained in a compilation given
me as a gift by a friend.
The average Christian today has little idea what "The Gospel" spoken of in
his/her Bible truly is. To some it's an often vague (to them) promise of
personal salvation. Sometimes it's a feel-good lifestyle kind of thing; witness
the many churches today that almost make a cartoon character out of our Blessed
Lord ("Come do Pilates with Jesus on Mondays and Wednesdays" - this sort of
thing.)
I daresay that those masses of Americans (and Christians in other lands)
attending Mass or other services this Christmas would be pretty much incapable
of articulating what the meaning was of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth a bit
over two millennia ago. It's no wonder; indeed -- I am ashamed to say -- at
Christmas Eve Mass in our own parish last night, SANTA CLAUS even made an
appearance as the Mass was concluding! These folks go out of a sense of duty,
social cohesion (a good thing) and for other reasons. Little do they know that
-- during and in the rest of their daily lives -- they have bought into a
decidedly anti-Christian social, economic and world view that is decidedly at
odds with The Gospel.
As Yoder wrote in his essay, our Blessed Mother knew the full import of the
Gospel; that which would be brought to this lost world through the only begotten
Son of the Most High she would carry in her virginal womb. Never in her mind and
heart would there have been the notion that our Redeemer's good news would
become the caricature and shell it has today. To her, Jesus was not some genie
in a bottle, on whom His people could call when they wanted something. He was
instead -- as He often said and warned Himself -- here on Earth to change the
order and nature of things back to the way His Heavenly Father had intended. As
the great Handel highlighted in the most marvelous and glorious piece of music
written in the history of man, "The kingdoms of this world are become the
Kingdom of our God, and of His Christ!"
At various times in what is often called the Christian age or era, some have
understood and implemented the fullness of The Gospel. Perhaps none was greater
than King St. Louis IX of France, who ruled that country for a good chunk of
time in the early 13th century. At his coronation as king, it is said that Louis
bound himself by oath to behave as God’s anointed, as the father of his people
and feudal lord of the King of Peace (can you imagine a George Bush or Barack
Obama doing this today?) In virtually every way and in every area of public life
and affairs, Louis governed his country in absolute accordance with the Laws of
God...with The Gospel.
The ills of our country -- and world -- today will never be fixed without this
obedience to God...without this understanding of the real, full meaning of
Christmas.
A Blessed and Merry Christmas to you!
Chris
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Chris
Temple On Line