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On Christmas Eve, my Mom, my Mom's husband, and I watched It's a Wonderful Life, then we went to midnight mass. The priest's homily was about how Jesus was a light amidst darkness, and how we----who have Christ inside of us----should be lights in the darkness, too.
It's difficult to be light in the darkness, when we ourselves have so
much darkness inside of us. I was thinking about this last night when
the priest talked about us becoming worthy through Christ to be in God's
presence. I thought to myself that I certainly was not worthy! But
then I reflected: I'm no more or no less worthy than most other people!
In
my opinion, everyone is a mixture of light and darkness. In some of
us, the light is stronger. In others of us, the darkness is stronger.
And then there are a number of cases in which we fail to cultivate the
light that is within us by loving others because we are swamped with our
own problems. This world is a mixture of light and darkness. There
are plenty of people, both Christian and non-Christian, who can bring
themselves to care for at least someone, even people they may not know. And yet, the world can be a pretty cold place.
On It's a Wonderful Life,
George Bailey was a mixture of light and darkness. He had light
because he cared for the people of his community and supported his
father's ideal that people should be able to have decent and affordable
housing, for their sake, and also because that would make them better
citizens. George was compassionate towards people, acknowledging when
they fell on financial hard times and seeking to work with them when
that was the case. What's more, George was light in the midst of
darkness, for, without him, Mr. Potter would have taken over, and people
would have been resigned to living in his shoddy yet expensive slums.
But
there was also darkness within George, for George was bitter because he
had to stay behind in Bedford Falls (which he considered a crummy
little town), when he wanted to go out and see the world. He needed to
be reminded that what he did (and what he had) truly mattered.
As
I've said before, I'd like to think that George and his wife got to see
the world! I know that such a story is non-existent, but it can exist
within my mind, I suppose. In my opinion, those who are lights in the
world----the clergy who take the time to help their congregants with
their problems and their challenges, parents, etc.----should get a
decent vacation to help them to recharge their batteries. Even Jesus
needed to take a rest, every once in a while. He did that when he
recharged his spiritual batteries by praying, and also when he went on
retreats with his disciples. A person's light can get beaten down, and
perhaps even extinguished, when he or she does not take the time to rest
and to rejuvenate. That does not mean that a person becomes evil
without rejuvenation, but rather that a person may become bitter,
frustrated, unhappy, or uncaring if his or her spiritual batteries are
not recharged.
Anyway, those are my disorganized ramblings for today! Have a good Christmas!
Showing posts with label It's a Wonderful Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label It's a Wonderful Life. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Day 2009
I didn't get to watch President Obama's inaugural address while it was going on, but I got to see Bush leaving in his helicopter while I was eating a sub at Jersey Mike's. One of the workers waved to the television set and said "bye, bye," and another remarked, "Good riddance." But the thought that went through my mind was, "You'll always be my President."
I was a little sad to see Bush go. At the same time, I didn't feel as sad as I did when Reagan left office. I think the reason is that Reagan could make a connection with me, even when I was a child and relatively apolitical. Although I always liked Bush's humor, charm, humility, and friendliness to all he met, he didn't really make that deep of a connection with me as a viewer, probably because he didn't speak to the American people all that often, and, when he did, he came across as rather rehearsed.
I stopped by the library to pick up some books, then I returned home and found that I had a package waiting for me in the rental office. I went there and said "Hi" to the workers. "Obama's now President," one of them cheerfully remarked. "Yippee," I sarcastically retorted. Interestingly, the other worker there, an African-American with dreadlocks, had pretty much the same reaction that I did. That should teach me not to stereotype!
I entered my apartment and turned on the TV to see if the inauguration was replaying on any channel. It was--on C-Span 3, which was showing a Canadian station's coverage.
I can't say I was moved that much. Rick Warren's prayer was all right, though it was a little long-winded. He tried to bring Jesus into it without being offensive. He affirmed that Jesus changed his life, right before he said the name of Jesus in multiple languages.
The swearing in ceremonies were all right. I liked it when Biden said "Thank you, Mr. Justice" after John Paul Stevens had sworn him in, since that was a gesture of friendliness. The highlight, of course, was John Roberts' swearing in of Barack Obama. It was a little awkward, and I was reminded of that Saturday Night Live skit in which Dan Quayle was portrayed as stumbling through the oath of office. But the news anchor said it was Roberts' fault, as have numerous news outlets. Naaah, the media's not in the tank for Obama!
As Obama gave his address, I noticed the reactions of various people in the audience. Hillary was grinning, Bill looked grim, Bush II appeared sad, and Bush I had on a really funny hat--like that Russian one George wore on Seinfeld.
As far as the speech itself went, it was all right. It was somewhat contradictory, though. Obama trashed the American desire for luxury, while saying he wanted more jobs. Um, the first kind of feeds into the second, Mr. Obama, unless you expect all of the jobs to be government-created! If I could sum up his speech, its motto would be, "Ask what your country can do for you, and ask what you can do for your country." He said that the government should do more to guarantee people a job and a good standard of living, while he also stated that we should serve others and work together to make our country a better place. He called for sacrifice in a way that echoed Jimmy Carter's "malaise" speech, even as he appealed to America's hopes and dreams, in John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan mode. And he made a call for national unity, right after he implicitly trashed the preceding Administration.
He vowed to help other countries, neglecting to mention that President Bush was big on foreign aid himself. He said we can fight terrorism while remaining consistent with American ideals, even though I read in Newsweek today that he has yet to explain how he'll do that. I mean, even liberal Newsweek asked what he'll do with the bad apples in Guantanamo after he closes the facility, since not everyone there is innocent!
After President Obama's solemn speech, someone read a poem, which wasn't quite as memorable as Maya Angelou's poem about the rock at Bill Clinton's 1992 inauguration. Then, a pastor gave a long benediction, in which he tried to be witty about the races: "Yellow," "white," etc. I wonder if someone would get away with that kind of stereotyping at a Republican inauguration!
There was something special about the convention: I got to see Yo-Yo Ma play the fiddle! I hadn't seen him since his appearance on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood several years before (which I saw as a rerun).
Plus, I got to see Dick Cheney in a wheelchair. I wondered if he was like FDR--making us think he could walk, when actually he was in a wheelchair the whole time. In actual fact, he hurt his back while packing to leave. I also want to mention: I only thought about Mr. Potter after the inauguration was over.
Did I get anything edifying from the festivities? I suppose I thought about the importance of loving others and working together to make this country a better place. One thing Ronald Reagan always said was that we should rely less on government and more on private initiative. Obama didn't say we should rely less on government, but he did exhort us to do our part to improve this great country. I like the way that he modelled that yesterday on Martin Luther King Day, when he said we should honor King by doing community service.
I was also reminded of the religious heritage of this country. Obama reverently bowed his head in prayer to God, and the African-Americans in his audience fervently prayed along during the invocation and benediction. I'm ashamed to say this, but I often see conservatism as "God's side," and liberalism as "the other side." And the media feeds this notion when they treat evangelicalism as a movement within the GOP. But there are godly people who are rooting for Barack Obama, and Obama seems to recognize his own reliance on almighty God.
One of the Obama girls told her father that he made a pretty good speech, and the news anchor said that this is something that will be special about the Obama Administration: it has children, who will add humor and life to a dreary national condition. I once read an interview with a McCain supporter, who remarked that he's drawn to Obama because he reminds him of John F. Kennedy, who had children in the White House. I remember that many people were similarly enamored with the Bush twins in 2000: one was smart and went to Yale, while the other was a party animal and went to the University of Texas. We like novelty as we delve into public figures' personal lives. But it's good to have children in the White House to brighten our drab condition, as long as Obama doesn't consult his daughters for advice on nuclear weaponry (Carter).
Finally, I liked what the news anchors said about the affection between the Bushes and the Obamas. President Bush has gone out of his way to make a smooth transition to the Obama Presidency, and Laura Bush gave Michelle Obama a lot of helpful advice. On a personal level, the Bushes are a class act, and there's a part of me that will miss them.
Now, onto a new day!
I was a little sad to see Bush go. At the same time, I didn't feel as sad as I did when Reagan left office. I think the reason is that Reagan could make a connection with me, even when I was a child and relatively apolitical. Although I always liked Bush's humor, charm, humility, and friendliness to all he met, he didn't really make that deep of a connection with me as a viewer, probably because he didn't speak to the American people all that often, and, when he did, he came across as rather rehearsed.
I stopped by the library to pick up some books, then I returned home and found that I had a package waiting for me in the rental office. I went there and said "Hi" to the workers. "Obama's now President," one of them cheerfully remarked. "Yippee," I sarcastically retorted. Interestingly, the other worker there, an African-American with dreadlocks, had pretty much the same reaction that I did. That should teach me not to stereotype!
I entered my apartment and turned on the TV to see if the inauguration was replaying on any channel. It was--on C-Span 3, which was showing a Canadian station's coverage.
I can't say I was moved that much. Rick Warren's prayer was all right, though it was a little long-winded. He tried to bring Jesus into it without being offensive. He affirmed that Jesus changed his life, right before he said the name of Jesus in multiple languages.
The swearing in ceremonies were all right. I liked it when Biden said "Thank you, Mr. Justice" after John Paul Stevens had sworn him in, since that was a gesture of friendliness. The highlight, of course, was John Roberts' swearing in of Barack Obama. It was a little awkward, and I was reminded of that Saturday Night Live skit in which Dan Quayle was portrayed as stumbling through the oath of office. But the news anchor said it was Roberts' fault, as have numerous news outlets. Naaah, the media's not in the tank for Obama!
As Obama gave his address, I noticed the reactions of various people in the audience. Hillary was grinning, Bill looked grim, Bush II appeared sad, and Bush I had on a really funny hat--like that Russian one George wore on Seinfeld.
As far as the speech itself went, it was all right. It was somewhat contradictory, though. Obama trashed the American desire for luxury, while saying he wanted more jobs. Um, the first kind of feeds into the second, Mr. Obama, unless you expect all of the jobs to be government-created! If I could sum up his speech, its motto would be, "Ask what your country can do for you, and ask what you can do for your country." He said that the government should do more to guarantee people a job and a good standard of living, while he also stated that we should serve others and work together to make our country a better place. He called for sacrifice in a way that echoed Jimmy Carter's "malaise" speech, even as he appealed to America's hopes and dreams, in John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan mode. And he made a call for national unity, right after he implicitly trashed the preceding Administration.
He vowed to help other countries, neglecting to mention that President Bush was big on foreign aid himself. He said we can fight terrorism while remaining consistent with American ideals, even though I read in Newsweek today that he has yet to explain how he'll do that. I mean, even liberal Newsweek asked what he'll do with the bad apples in Guantanamo after he closes the facility, since not everyone there is innocent!
After President Obama's solemn speech, someone read a poem, which wasn't quite as memorable as Maya Angelou's poem about the rock at Bill Clinton's 1992 inauguration. Then, a pastor gave a long benediction, in which he tried to be witty about the races: "Yellow," "white," etc. I wonder if someone would get away with that kind of stereotyping at a Republican inauguration!
There was something special about the convention: I got to see Yo-Yo Ma play the fiddle! I hadn't seen him since his appearance on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood several years before (which I saw as a rerun).
Plus, I got to see Dick Cheney in a wheelchair. I wondered if he was like FDR--making us think he could walk, when actually he was in a wheelchair the whole time. In actual fact, he hurt his back while packing to leave. I also want to mention: I only thought about Mr. Potter after the inauguration was over.
Did I get anything edifying from the festivities? I suppose I thought about the importance of loving others and working together to make this country a better place. One thing Ronald Reagan always said was that we should rely less on government and more on private initiative. Obama didn't say we should rely less on government, but he did exhort us to do our part to improve this great country. I like the way that he modelled that yesterday on Martin Luther King Day, when he said we should honor King by doing community service.
I was also reminded of the religious heritage of this country. Obama reverently bowed his head in prayer to God, and the African-Americans in his audience fervently prayed along during the invocation and benediction. I'm ashamed to say this, but I often see conservatism as "God's side," and liberalism as "the other side." And the media feeds this notion when they treat evangelicalism as a movement within the GOP. But there are godly people who are rooting for Barack Obama, and Obama seems to recognize his own reliance on almighty God.
One of the Obama girls told her father that he made a pretty good speech, and the news anchor said that this is something that will be special about the Obama Administration: it has children, who will add humor and life to a dreary national condition. I once read an interview with a McCain supporter, who remarked that he's drawn to Obama because he reminds him of John F. Kennedy, who had children in the White House. I remember that many people were similarly enamored with the Bush twins in 2000: one was smart and went to Yale, while the other was a party animal and went to the University of Texas. We like novelty as we delve into public figures' personal lives. But it's good to have children in the White House to brighten our drab condition, as long as Obama doesn't consult his daughters for advice on nuclear weaponry (Carter).
Finally, I liked what the news anchors said about the affection between the Bushes and the Obamas. President Bush has gone out of his way to make a smooth transition to the Obama Presidency, and Laura Bush gave Michelle Obama a lot of helpful advice. On a personal level, the Bushes are a class act, and there's a part of me that will miss them.
Now, onto a new day!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve 2008
I just finished It's a Wonderful Life on YouTube. To be honest, I think I appreciate it more this year because my TV is indisposed right now. I'm just grateful I got to watch it! I noticed that the Christmas Story is also on YouTube, so maybe I'll watch that tomorrow evening.
Christmas was a hard time for me last year. I was alone with cabin fever. I watched lots of television, and I did lots of reading. But I eventually grew tired of TV and reading, so what do you do then? In the end, my Christmas was a pretty bitter experience.
So I decided that I need a game plan for this year. This year, I'm going to do a little bit of everything. I'll go to church tomorrow morning, and to an AA meeting tomorrow afternoon. After the meeting, maybe I'll go to a pizza place, if one is open. I don't get pizza that often, and I want to spoil myself a little on Christmas (albeit not extravagantly).
I don't plan to read a whole book this Christmas, as I did last year. But I'm reading some Martin Luther sermons here and there. I like Martin Luther because he focuses a lot on God's love and grace, which led him to love Jesus Christ. I may also listen to the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe CD that I have from Focus on the Family's Radio Theater.
This evening, I feel pretty good. I read some Martin Luther sermons while I listened to Rush, only Rush wasn't on. Someone from Minnesota subbed for him. Then, I did an hour of my daily quiet time, as I prayed and read the Koran. I didn't think about my Koran reading for the entire hour, but I spent much of the time simply telling God what was on my mind--the good, the bad, and the ugly.
In the process, I remembered a remarkable Christian I knew in high school: many of her classmates considered her fat and ugly, but she was a truly sweet person, with a really pleasant disposition. Her faith somehow enabled her to rise above her difficult surroundings and to have faith, hope, and love. I said a while back that there aren't too many Christians I want to be like. Well, she's one who deserves admiration.
Then, I went to an AA meeting. Unfortunately, I got stuck with chairing, but there was a blessing that came out of it. A while back, someone told the group that he couldn't see his dying mother, since she lives in another state, and he's stuck where he is because of his probation. But he told me today that his mom is now in remission, and he'll be off of probation if he can pay his fine. He's trusting God for the money!
One thing he said to me: he's been mad at God, but now he's decided to make amends with God because of all the good things that God is doing. I don't know if God does that sort of stuff all of the time, since there is suffering in the world. But it is good when God helps someone out. I feel as if my prayers and those of others are not in vain. I was blessed to hear his story. And hopefully he felt blessed that someone asked to hear it. I hope to give this Christmas as well as receive.
As I watched It's a Wonderful Life, I wondered to what extent each of our lives touches everyone else's. I mean, that was a big point of the movie: George's very existence and life of helping others had a ripple effect that benefited people he didn't even know. He learned that when he got to see what Bedford Falls would've been like had he not been born.
But would the world really be all that different if I were not here? I think of that Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, in which Q let Captain Picard relive an event from his youth. Picard was worried that he'd dramatically change history, to which Q responds: "Look, the same wars occur, everything pretty much happens as it would have anyway. You're not that important."
I'd be tempted to dismiss It's a Wonderful Life as idealistic, until I realize that it actually touches real people's lives. I heard a person talk about it at an AA meeting I attended last week. Even idealistic movies can have real consequences on our outlook, or resonate with our day-to-day experiences.
So I prefer to think that God put me on this earth for a reason, meaning that my life plays some important role in the web of humanity. Tomorrow, maybe I'll think about the significance of Christ's coming to earth, since that is what Christmas celebrates.
Christmas was a hard time for me last year. I was alone with cabin fever. I watched lots of television, and I did lots of reading. But I eventually grew tired of TV and reading, so what do you do then? In the end, my Christmas was a pretty bitter experience.
So I decided that I need a game plan for this year. This year, I'm going to do a little bit of everything. I'll go to church tomorrow morning, and to an AA meeting tomorrow afternoon. After the meeting, maybe I'll go to a pizza place, if one is open. I don't get pizza that often, and I want to spoil myself a little on Christmas (albeit not extravagantly).
I don't plan to read a whole book this Christmas, as I did last year. But I'm reading some Martin Luther sermons here and there. I like Martin Luther because he focuses a lot on God's love and grace, which led him to love Jesus Christ. I may also listen to the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe CD that I have from Focus on the Family's Radio Theater.
This evening, I feel pretty good. I read some Martin Luther sermons while I listened to Rush, only Rush wasn't on. Someone from Minnesota subbed for him. Then, I did an hour of my daily quiet time, as I prayed and read the Koran. I didn't think about my Koran reading for the entire hour, but I spent much of the time simply telling God what was on my mind--the good, the bad, and the ugly.
In the process, I remembered a remarkable Christian I knew in high school: many of her classmates considered her fat and ugly, but she was a truly sweet person, with a really pleasant disposition. Her faith somehow enabled her to rise above her difficult surroundings and to have faith, hope, and love. I said a while back that there aren't too many Christians I want to be like. Well, she's one who deserves admiration.
Then, I went to an AA meeting. Unfortunately, I got stuck with chairing, but there was a blessing that came out of it. A while back, someone told the group that he couldn't see his dying mother, since she lives in another state, and he's stuck where he is because of his probation. But he told me today that his mom is now in remission, and he'll be off of probation if he can pay his fine. He's trusting God for the money!
One thing he said to me: he's been mad at God, but now he's decided to make amends with God because of all the good things that God is doing. I don't know if God does that sort of stuff all of the time, since there is suffering in the world. But it is good when God helps someone out. I feel as if my prayers and those of others are not in vain. I was blessed to hear his story. And hopefully he felt blessed that someone asked to hear it. I hope to give this Christmas as well as receive.
As I watched It's a Wonderful Life, I wondered to what extent each of our lives touches everyone else's. I mean, that was a big point of the movie: George's very existence and life of helping others had a ripple effect that benefited people he didn't even know. He learned that when he got to see what Bedford Falls would've been like had he not been born.
But would the world really be all that different if I were not here? I think of that Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, in which Q let Captain Picard relive an event from his youth. Picard was worried that he'd dramatically change history, to which Q responds: "Look, the same wars occur, everything pretty much happens as it would have anyway. You're not that important."
I'd be tempted to dismiss It's a Wonderful Life as idealistic, until I realize that it actually touches real people's lives. I heard a person talk about it at an AA meeting I attended last week. Even idealistic movies can have real consequences on our outlook, or resonate with our day-to-day experiences.
So I prefer to think that God put me on this earth for a reason, meaning that my life plays some important role in the web of humanity. Tomorrow, maybe I'll think about the significance of Christ's coming to earth, since that is what Christmas celebrates.
Monday, December 22, 2008
It's a Wonderful Life on YouTube
My TV will be out of commission this Christmas day, but my tradition of watching It's a Wonderful Life will go on! The entire movie is on YouTube. I watched Parts I and II, so I'm posting the link to Part III so I can access it immediately rather than combing through all my bookmarks. You can find Part I through that link, if you want to watch it. Enjoy!
It's A Wonderful Life [Part 3/13]
It's A Wonderful Life [Part 3/13]
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Christmas Musings 2007
Today is Christmas, 2007. What am I doing today? Yesterday, I was privileged to receive my video of It's a Wonderful Life. This was fortuitous. I could have gotten it after Christmas, but It's a Wonderful Life is Christmas fare, or, more accurately, Christmas Eve fare. As I watched it, I really felt bad for George Bailey. Here was a person who continually helped others, but he never had an opportunity to do what he wanted to do, which was to see the world. I know that the story is fictional, but I'd like to think that George and Mary Bailey got to visit Europe, Asia, and South America at some point in their lives. Of course, the problem is that they would have to leave the Building and Loan to Uncle Billy during their absence, and I can imagine Uncle Billy running the company into the ground. Maybe one of George and Mary's boys (or girls) grew up and helped run the company, allowing the couple to have some vacation time. But where would the Baileys get the money for travel? Well, at the end, George got more than the $8,000 that he needed. Maybe his neighbors wouldn't mind if George and Mary used it to see the world. George did earn this privilege, after all.
Today, I watched a Christmas episode of Highway to Heaven, in which Richard Mulligan (Empty Nest) plays a newspaper columnist who finds the Christmas spirit. I'll watch another episode later this evening, one that reflects Dickens' A Christmas Carol. At the moment, I am taping A Christmas Story. I've never seen it before, and it is a renowned Christmas classic. I'll also watch that this evening. At 3:00, I saw one of my favorite episodes of All in the Family, the one in which a draft dodger spends Christmas with someone who lost his son in Vietnam. It is a tear-jerker!
While watching television, I've been reading two books by Madeleine L'Engle: A Wrinkle in Time and Wind in the Door. I finished Wrinkle last night. I appreciate the books, but I have a hard time experiencing pleasure when I read them, and I don't exactly know why. I appreciate them because they are about God using socially marginalized people for his righteous purposes, and I also like the way that the socially awkward Meg becomes friends with the popular jock Calvin, whose life is not as rosy as we might expect. There is also a character who speaks in quotations, since she cannot come up with words of her own in social situations. I identify with her problem here! Too bad my Latin is not good enough for me to quote Cicero in daily conversation. The books also have jewels of wisdom. For example, in Wrinkle, one of the eccentric characters likens life to a sonnet: a sonnet needs a specific number of beats to be a sonnet, but it can still contain a variety of possible words. I interpret this to mean that there is one righteous path, which can encompass a variety of possible choices.
I went to church this morning. Drawing on Aquinas, the priest talked about the different ways that Christ is united with humanity. He said that a person who has faith yet lives a sinful life is in danger of becoming eternally lost. At the same time, he affirmed that God can still work with such a person, since there is a connection between him and the divine. The priest urged us to develop a deeper relationship with God. His specific steps for doing this included: (1.) Become a Catholic, if you are not one already, (2.) Go to confession, and (3.) Read about the saints. I usually don't feel "fed" by this priest's sermons, since they are rather philosophical and often promote ritualism as a spiritual solution. But they do intellectually stimulate me, which is more than I can say for evangelical and mainline Protestant churches (BORING).
As I was thinking about a topic for today's blog entry, a question entered my mind: Why did Christ come to earth? I remember reading a book by John Shelby Spong, This Hebrew Lord, in which Spong was stumped by someone who asked about Jesus' significance. Evangelicals and other Christians would probably deem this an easy question: they would say that Jesus came to reveal God's will, bring forgiveness of sins, and inaugurate a kingdom of justice for the poor. But these things existed before Jesus came. People already knew that they were supposed to love God and neighbor. God already forgave sins (though evangelicals will probably argue that the blood of Christ was the basis for atonement in pre-Christian times). And people already knew that they should help the poor. What did Jesus bring that was new? Well, he did make God's rules stricter. Now, we can't get a divorce or lust after women. I'm sorry, but I have a hard time getting enthusiastic about a stricter law.
Another topic that came into my mind was Christmas' pagan origin. I grew up in an offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God, which did not observe Christmas. Many argue that Christians transformed a pagan festival (Saturnalia) into the "Christian" holiday of Christmas. Others contend that the pagans were the ones who stole Christmas--from the Christians (see The Celebration of CHRISTMAS ). If Christmas has pagan origins, should it be observed? On one hand, Deuteronomy 12:30 seems to prohibit the use of pagan customs in the worship of God. It says: "Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following [the Canaanites], after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise." On the other hand, the Bible does describe the God of the Hebrews through pagan imagery (e.g., a god who slays a chaos monster), and there is also overlap between biblical and pagan customs (e.g., temples, animal sacrifices, etc.).
I guess that the way I approach this issue is as follows: I myself don't really keep Christmas, since I am usually alone on that day. But I don't have a big problem when others observe it (not that their actions are my business in the first place). God dislikes pagan customs that compromise his character, such as child sacrifice or orgies in worship. But I don't think he stresses out when people set aside a day to fellowship and honor Christ's birth, assuming that they are indeed doing that in their celebration of Christmas (rather than being materialistic). Christmas is a time to think about certain virtues, such as generosity. But we should be generous throughout the year, not only on Christmas.
So these are my Christmas reflections. Maybe I'll have more after watching A Christmas Story--I will have to see. Happy holidays!
Today, I watched a Christmas episode of Highway to Heaven, in which Richard Mulligan (Empty Nest) plays a newspaper columnist who finds the Christmas spirit. I'll watch another episode later this evening, one that reflects Dickens' A Christmas Carol. At the moment, I am taping A Christmas Story. I've never seen it before, and it is a renowned Christmas classic. I'll also watch that this evening. At 3:00, I saw one of my favorite episodes of All in the Family, the one in which a draft dodger spends Christmas with someone who lost his son in Vietnam. It is a tear-jerker!
While watching television, I've been reading two books by Madeleine L'Engle: A Wrinkle in Time and Wind in the Door. I finished Wrinkle last night. I appreciate the books, but I have a hard time experiencing pleasure when I read them, and I don't exactly know why. I appreciate them because they are about God using socially marginalized people for his righteous purposes, and I also like the way that the socially awkward Meg becomes friends with the popular jock Calvin, whose life is not as rosy as we might expect. There is also a character who speaks in quotations, since she cannot come up with words of her own in social situations. I identify with her problem here! Too bad my Latin is not good enough for me to quote Cicero in daily conversation. The books also have jewels of wisdom. For example, in Wrinkle, one of the eccentric characters likens life to a sonnet: a sonnet needs a specific number of beats to be a sonnet, but it can still contain a variety of possible words. I interpret this to mean that there is one righteous path, which can encompass a variety of possible choices.
I went to church this morning. Drawing on Aquinas, the priest talked about the different ways that Christ is united with humanity. He said that a person who has faith yet lives a sinful life is in danger of becoming eternally lost. At the same time, he affirmed that God can still work with such a person, since there is a connection between him and the divine. The priest urged us to develop a deeper relationship with God. His specific steps for doing this included: (1.) Become a Catholic, if you are not one already, (2.) Go to confession, and (3.) Read about the saints. I usually don't feel "fed" by this priest's sermons, since they are rather philosophical and often promote ritualism as a spiritual solution. But they do intellectually stimulate me, which is more than I can say for evangelical and mainline Protestant churches (BORING).
As I was thinking about a topic for today's blog entry, a question entered my mind: Why did Christ come to earth? I remember reading a book by John Shelby Spong, This Hebrew Lord, in which Spong was stumped by someone who asked about Jesus' significance. Evangelicals and other Christians would probably deem this an easy question: they would say that Jesus came to reveal God's will, bring forgiveness of sins, and inaugurate a kingdom of justice for the poor. But these things existed before Jesus came. People already knew that they were supposed to love God and neighbor. God already forgave sins (though evangelicals will probably argue that the blood of Christ was the basis for atonement in pre-Christian times). And people already knew that they should help the poor. What did Jesus bring that was new? Well, he did make God's rules stricter. Now, we can't get a divorce or lust after women. I'm sorry, but I have a hard time getting enthusiastic about a stricter law.
Another topic that came into my mind was Christmas' pagan origin. I grew up in an offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God, which did not observe Christmas. Many argue that Christians transformed a pagan festival (Saturnalia) into the "Christian" holiday of Christmas. Others contend that the pagans were the ones who stole Christmas--from the Christians (see The Celebration of CHRISTMAS ). If Christmas has pagan origins, should it be observed? On one hand, Deuteronomy 12:30 seems to prohibit the use of pagan customs in the worship of God. It says: "Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following [the Canaanites], after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise." On the other hand, the Bible does describe the God of the Hebrews through pagan imagery (e.g., a god who slays a chaos monster), and there is also overlap between biblical and pagan customs (e.g., temples, animal sacrifices, etc.).
I guess that the way I approach this issue is as follows: I myself don't really keep Christmas, since I am usually alone on that day. But I don't have a big problem when others observe it (not that their actions are my business in the first place). God dislikes pagan customs that compromise his character, such as child sacrifice or orgies in worship. But I don't think he stresses out when people set aside a day to fellowship and honor Christ's birth, assuming that they are indeed doing that in their celebration of Christmas (rather than being materialistic). Christmas is a time to think about certain virtues, such as generosity. But we should be generous throughout the year, not only on Christmas.
So these are my Christmas reflections. Maybe I'll have more after watching A Christmas Story--I will have to see. Happy holidays!
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