A METAPHOR OF LOVE Its no secret that Christmas, its origins, traditions and rituals, is an amalgam of early Christian, pagan and secular myths, celebrations and practices, and that there is a complex history behind the dates associated with our current holiday. (For details see link below.) Then, of course, there is the commercialization associated with the season, and the increasing complaints from “believers” that using nonspecific labels ignores the “reason for the season. Does Christmas really have any value for us moderns, or must we allow it to divide us into competing camps? Part of the confusion is the tendency to think of Christmas as history, rather than as story. Stories have incredible power to illuminate ideas, inspire people and transform lives. Whether or not there was a historical Jesus, there is or is not a God with whom he was in some close way related, he did or did not perform miracles or say the things attributed to him, does the Christmas story illustrate any life principles we can use? Is it a metaphor that can speak to us today? At its core, and one of the characteristics we honor today, the Christmas story is about giving, the valuing of others highly enough to share with them what we have. Though most of us as youngsters start out thinking of what we will get, the Christmas tradition is a wonderful opportunity to train our children in the joys of caring and giving. After reading the history of Christmas you may not feel that Jesus is the reason for the season, but the kind of character that the storied Jesus represents certainly is. Historical or not, it’s hard to imagine a more compelling illustration of the kind of loving attitude we so need in this world of conflict and self-seeking. No matter our “faith”, or rational quest for the true, we can embrace this metaphor of love to our benefit. simpletoremember/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 02:35:26 +0000
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