Bethlehem, the town just south of Jerusalem, is on a hill and surrounded by valleys and plains. "In the bleak mid winter, frosty wind did blow...." is the carol we sing. The secular world plays songs about the descendant of St. Nicholas (AKA Santa Claus) and of sleigh bells, and white Christmases.
We learn so much about what we believe by looking at the words to songs we sing. And, we also learn a bit of falsehood from those same, beloved carols. As we prepare to let Jesus be born again in our hearts, let's look with new eyes at the story of Jesus' birth in light of what scripture does and does not tell us.
Was it really winter when Jesus was born? Probably not! Caesar's census was taken in July; the shepherds would have been in the fields at night during the lambing season in the spring and would have corralled them during the winter months. However, the Romans had their mid winter Saturnalia festival in late December; barbarian peoples of northern and western Europe kept holidays of the winter solstice around the same time. In 274 C.E., the Roman emperor Aurelian established a feast of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) on December 25. Christmas, it seems, is really a spin-off from these pagan solar festivals. The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on that day was in 336 C.E. under Constantine. It is thought that Christians chose this date to encourage the spread of Christmas and Christianity throughout the Roman world: If Christmas looked like a pagan holiday, perhaps more pagans would be open to both the holiday and the God whose birth it celebrated.
What -- our Holy-Day is founded on a pagan celebration? That's not how we learned it in Sunday School! Yet, it is true.
It is also true that the scripture does not say there were three kings. Matthew says that an unspecific number of sages, who would be astronomers, came from the east and brought three gifts. In the King James version of the Bible, these sages are called kings-- an erroneous translation from the Greek motivated by the political interest of King James to use scripture to uphold and enhance the authority of the English Monarchy. Again, another secular source of the story we've come to love.
In our time, Christmas has again become a generally secular holiday season. The decorations began going up in the stores in August. Christmas music starts playing over store sound systems in October. Christmas is the most lucrative season for the consumer goods economy of our capitalistic society. Businesses are using the birth of a child born into poverty to promote materialism. Our economy is fueled by the buying and selling of stuff for the celebration of one who told his followers to sell all you have and give it to the poor. Our society's determination of a successful Christmas season is measured in dollar $igns.
How will you measure the success of Christmas this year?
- By the number of parties you attend?
- By the dozens of cookies you consume?
- By the number of gifts you give or receive?
- By the amount of snow that is on the ground on Christmas morning?
- By the number of merchants who wish you a Merry Christmas instead of a Happy Holiday (holy+day)?
Or,
- Will you count the number of blessings you have already received from God and give thanks?
- Will you sacrifice something to help "one of the least of these? from Matthew 25?
- Will you bring (non-materialistic) joy to someone who you consider your enemy?
- Will you let the word of Jesus into your soul and let them grow into acts of love, mercy and kindness?
The time is near. Make straight the path. Clear the highway in the desert of our world. Prepare the way of the Christ Child to live in your heart. And, plow aside the stuff of the world.
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