It’s Christmas eve here. No egg nog, I’m in South Korea after all but while writing this, having a nice glass of “maekoli” - a kind of farmer’s rice wine. It’s the closest thing to egg nog I could find.
The roast is in the tiny oven (ovens aren’t a big thing here) and I did my morning bike ride and then sat around watching old TV Xmas movies. Of course, “It’s A Wonderful Life”, a tradition for me. But I added another one, more on that below.
First, I’d like to wish everyone, anyone who reads my sputterings, a very, very Merry Christmas. You got one shot at this thing called “a life”, so I wish you as much blessings in that journey as heavenly possible.
The present IS the Present.
Christmas is filled with memories, for most of us happy ones. It’s a time of joy, celebration, a good spell of downtime from the travails of day to day life and survival.
Christmas will mean many different things to many different people. They’ll be the personal meanings - for me, it is a start, a birth, my throwing off the shackles of a child and becoming an adult.
Just barely 14 years old, I got tired of the terror, beatings of my father and Christmas eve walked 20 miles into town. Dark, snow falling hard, -15 but I was free and set to make my way in the world, on my own, my own terms. That’s all that mattered. I made it into town and started that journey. I’m still on that road, I still see those footprints down the middle of deserted highway, fresh in the snow, as I looked back down the highway, that Christmas eve of yore.
Traditionally Christmas is about the days getting longer, having made it through the darkeness and celebrating coming into the light. That’s the pagan version. We give gifts to recognize this miracle.
And of course, the miracle and meaning most associated with Christmas is that of Christ. His birth as a redemption for our sins, his sacrifice so we may be forgiven and start life anew, fresh and in hand with G_d.
However, this Christmas I’d like to dig deeper into the meaning of Christmas - given how our world is teetering on disaster on so many levels. The homeless, the huge divisions in income between the haves and have naughts. The wars, the genocide daily appearing on our screens. The environmental disaster we are facing, our indifference to the own bed we sleep in as we giggle at AI generated videos of three headed animated bobble dolls.
Christ came into this world and a miracle it was. I’m no big fan of liberation theology but it is worth mentioning, remembering the real circumstances of his birth.
Mary and Joseph were not at home - they had to cowtow to the authorities, the colonial power Rome and pay their taxes. Jesus ultimately was cool with that - render unto Caesar what is Caesars. Jesus’ message ultimately was about our inner life, an idiot doing goodness in the world, compelled like Prince Myshkin to turn his cheek and be true to his self.
Rome came after Jesus. All the newborns were slaughtered, like today in Gaza, the Israeli Evilites killing women and children, the fecund core of a culture, a people, its continuance and inheritance.
Jesus grew up and asked us to face directly the injustices of the world. Central to his message, We are our brothers keeper. Matthew 22:39, the 2nd of only two commandments we need - You Shall Love Your Neighbor As Yourself. I like to put it as
“There but for the grace of god go I.”
I think this is the message of Christmas, Jesus’ most important message. Why he was born and died. A way of erasing our divisions, our loneliness and isolation. With it cleaving to our hearts, we have no wars. We have brotherhood. Fraternity.
The other movie I watched today was the Twilight Zone special - Carol for Another Christmas (1964). It hits hard, about the world we live in, a world that denies our necessity to help those in need, to build a better, more caring world.
Like the Dicken’s original, the story takes us through ghosts of Christmas past and future - showing us the results of a world where we refuse to be our brothers’ keeper and come to the aid of others in the name of goodness against evil. I hope some of you will watch it.
Merry Christmas to all. The real miracle is that we are here at all.
So again, fill yourself up with love and let the world know the miracle you are, the goodness and light that shines within you. No need of longer days, just shine that little light of thine!
To end - a poem I wrote on a Christmas Eve spent alone in Kyiv, many years ago.
Surprises
Walking home Christmas time
late evening
bags full in both hands
and I spy a lady
going through the bin
in front of the house.
If it weren’t Kyiv
it would be an affront.
But I walk straight by
as she adjusts her
half pink wool hat
and reaches down deep again …
So many surprises await her!
A half eaten sandwich, 5 kopeck bottles
a purple hair pin, old tomatoes
dry paper for tonight’s bed.
And for me?
No surprises.
I know what I’ve bought.
I’m the one who’s been caught.
Music @mattkerr Edmonton, Canada
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