Sunday, December 23, 2007

Audacious!

It was the most audacious event in world history. God, creator of the universe, comes to earth in the form of one of his loftiest creations. Entering the world in the shared and natural humility of childbirth. God as man, with a wrinkled crying face, a crown of mussed hair topping a misshapen head, robed in delivery goo. It was the coming of Christ.

We now celebrate this audacious event with our culture's most involved holiday which we call Christmas. The coming of Christ. The gathering of Christ. As Irenaeus put it almost 2000 years ago, "God became man so that we could become divine." (Irenaeus also said one of my all-time favorite quotes: "The glory of God is man fully alive.")

I like how this one blogger put it.

Christmas is a celebration of three comings of Christ. First, we celebrate the historical coming of Christ. The readings in the Church proclaim the story of Jesus' birth to a young virgin. We are reminded of his lineage, the conditions of his birth in the poverty of a manger, the angelic proclamation to the shepherds, his presentation at the temple, and the visit of the three wise men. The stories are told in the opening chapters of the gospels of Matthew and Luke for those who would like to read the narratives on their own.

Second, we celebrate the presence of Christ come among us today. Christians believe that the Spirit of God is always active in the world, gently guiding us and prodding us toward conversion. Nothing happens without a reason. There is not a stray molecule anywhere in the universe. Christmas is a celebration of God coming among us today! The Church often uses sacraments and symbols as signs of grace, and people are often aware of the power of the Spirit present in these activities. However, God's grace surrounds us all the time. Christmas celebrates God’s coming into our everyday lives - our work, our family, and our friendships.

Third, we celebrate the hope for the day when Christ will come in glory to gather the saints. One day, all who are being saved will be with the Lord in paradise. Whether we come to the Lord through natural death, or whether the Lord will come to us at the end of the world, Christians look forward to eternity with God. This will be our greatest happiness! As children anxiously await the arrival of Santa Claus, the Christian waits in joyful hope for eternity with our God!

Huckabee

So what does all this have to do with Mike Huckabee? Well, Mike had the human audacity to actually mention Christ when speaking of Christmas, as he attempted to set politics aside during the Christmas season, in a Christmas card ad that is all the buzz.

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2 comments:

Anthony Palmer, Ph.D. said...

Let me ask you what you think about Huckabee's approach to answering questions about Romney's Mormonism. Whenever Huckabee is asked about it, he demurs and says "he can't speak for anyone's faith." Fine. But surely he knows that by not coming out and saying "Mormons are Christians too," he is essentially allowing the "Mormon issue" to continue to be used as a political weapon to wound Romney. And I'm sure Huckabee knows that. As a Christian, do you believe this strategy is a Christian strategy, meaning is Huckabee being sinful by not defending a fellow Christian? Or is what he's doing legit?

December 23, 2007 at 6:35 PM
oso diablo said...

been away for Christmas with the family. lots to unravel in your questions, all of which hinge on Mormonism.

1. I know even less about Mormonism than does Huckabee, but i'm pretty certain they believe themselves as a higher-order religion, beyond and better than historic Christianity. Like Christianity is not Judaism, Mormonism is not Christianity. If that's what Mormons believe, why should Huckabee be required to say otherwise?

2. It's a different question to ask if Romney himself is a Christian vs. the question of whether Mormons in general are Christians. And as one living in the South, you understand the implications of declaring someone else is or is not a Christian. In the born-again milleiu, it means something different than how the secular world sees it. How can one know for sure? That's what Mike means when he says he can't speak for another's faith.

3. If we were to ask if ANY Mormon can be saved as we understand the term, i personally would say yes, but i'm sure some would disagree.

4. Are any of these questions legitimate or pertinent to the presidential selection process? I think you have argued otherwise. Huckabee never brings it up. It's the media that's looking to stir controversy.

5. To answer your question directly, no, i do not see Huckabee's approach on this as sinful in any sense.

December 26, 2007 at 1:06 PM

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