Mary, a strong revolutionary woman, gave birth to Jesus, a Palestinian Jewish boy. His birth was graced with the presence of Arab wisemen. His family was a trans-continental refugee escaping a cowardly tyrant who massacred children. He grew up and established a community that incarnates Love and Peace. Energized by the Spirit of the Creator, this community replicated itself around the world through the centuries.
We’re not sure about the actual birthday of Jesus, the Nazarene. Whenever it is, we’ll join the Christians around the world to celebrate the fact that he was born!
The baby Jesus was born as a Palestinian Jewish child, most probably the subject of gossips among status-quo boxed, conservative folks in a small town because he was conceived by a strong, revolutionary, young woman before marriage;
The folks from the East — referred to as ‘Three Kings’ in Christian narrative — who visited him and his family, most probably were Arabs;
His family escaped an insecure, bad-mouthed, lying, self-centered political leader who waged a war — a cowardly act — against young, obviously unarmed, helpless children;
He and his family became a trans-continental refugee — from Palestine, west of the Asian continent; to Egypt, north of the African continent;
He and his family went back to Nazareth, grew up spiritually, physically, socially and earned his living as a carpenter;
He incarnated Love and Peace and built a community marked by Love;
He incarnated Unconditional Love to the point of offering his life for others;
He was executed by the Empire, in collaboration with the religious and political power-players of his own nation, because he proposed an Alternative Reality that debunked the myth of the Empire;
By the power of the Creator’s Spirit, he transcended death to show that the Final Reality is Life;
He commissioned his followers or disciples to make more followers or disciples of the Great Commandment — that is, to love God and to love neighbors as one’s self; and, neighbors include enemies.
May our love for God and our love for our neighbors characterize our celebration of the Birth of the Prince of Peace.
