A Christmas Story

I’ve written a story, well truth be told, I’ve rewritten a story. A famous story. The Christmas story. Now usually at Christmas I write something cynical and anti-consumer-ish (there is still time) this year I’ve tried to tell the Christmas story as if it happened only a year ago.

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time and it hasn’t worked out as intended. It’s a little cheesy and it doesn’t work as well as I thought but having said that I think it provides a new way of thinking about the story and has some interesting imagery. I’ve tried to follow the structure of the original stories as much as possible and so have put the verses so you can go back and see the parallels.

Take it with a pinch of salt but I’d be up for thoughts, criticism and discussion:

Matt 1: 18 – 25 – This is how the birth of Saviour came about. Saviour’s Mother was called Mary, she was 13. Mary was going out with Joseph, who worked on a building site, but before they slept together Mary learnt she was pregnant by God’s Spirit. Because Joseph was a descent man and didn’t want to accuse Mary of cheating he decided to break up with her quietly and pretend he had nothing to do with it. While Joseph thought about these things, a messenger from God came to him in a dream and said “Joseph, descendant of Martin Luther, don’t be afraid to see Mary, because the baby in her is from God. She will give birth to a son and you will name him Saviour, because he will save his people from their troubles”

When Joseph woke he did what the messenger had told him to do.

Luke 2: 1-16 – In those days Gordon Brown passed a law that I.D. Cards should be issued to the whole of the British Public. This was decided whilst Boris Johnson was major of London and everyone had to go to the British Embassy in London for a retina scan. So Joseph also went down from the city of Liverpool, Merseyside to Westminster in London because he was born British. He went there to register with his girlfriend Mary, who was pregnant, on a moped.

While they were there, Mary’s water broke. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in newspaper, and laid him under a bus shelter, because there was no place for them in any hostels.

In that region there were some bin-men working. Then a messenger of God approached them, and they were scared. But the messenger said to them, “Don’t be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for everyone: born for you this day in the capital city is the saviour, the primary minister. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in newspaper and sheltering under a bus stop”

When the messenger had left, the bin-men said to one another, “Let us go and see this things which has taken place, which God has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child at the bus stop.

Matt 2: 1-12 – After Saviour was born in London, Muslims from the East came asking, “Where is the child who was born king of the Christians? For we have observed his star rising and have come to pay him homage.” When Rowan Williams heard this, he was frightened, and all in Lambeth Palace with him: and calling together all the chief bishops and priests, he inquired of them where the primary minister was to be born. They told him, “In Westminster, London; for the law states: “And you, Westminster, in the city of London are by no means least amongst the powers of Britain; for from you shall come a ruler who is to rule the people”

Then Williams secretly called for the Muslim travellers and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Westminster, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the Bishop, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the East, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary; and they knelt down and paid homage. Then they offered him gifts of an ornate crown, incense and an engraved tombstone.

Christ mas

Previously my posts about Christmas have been, what some may call, negative, that is they have focused on consumerism and the capitalist take over. Yet, despite lying in bed this morning and thinking ‘the build up to Christmas was massive and here we are 2 days on and its all over and forgotten about. What a waste.’ this year I’ve been thinking about Christmas a little differently.

Firstly, I’m beginning to learn or I’d like to emphasise that my problem with Christmas isn’t the nature of giving but the way of giving. My problem lies with consumerism in general not in the idea of giving. Giving (presents or cards or whatever) is part of our societies language of value. We give to those we care about. (I’m not going to mention the politics of ‘you’re off my Christmas card list’ which comes with this, but the fact is giving is a good thing). The problem is the greed, waste and unnecessary expense which comes with it and its these I should be trying to combat. My stance shouldn’t be to boycott giving but it should be about finding new ways of giving.

Second, and perhaps more importantly is the symbolism behind Christmas. Ignoring Pagan roots for the time being, the Christmas we have been brought up with about giving because God gave his Son. Now I’m guessing for the majority of people reading this you know the nativity story, you know the drill, sweet baby Jesus and everything. But this year something has hit me, it was obvious but it so important: the incarnation.

Christmas is after all the beginning, it’s when God became one of us. The word became flesh and moved into the neighbourhood. God joined us. This is massive. This is the ultimate incarnational mission. It’s the ultimate contextualisation of the good news that is God.

It’s hard to write about this because I can’t quite articulate how amazing I think this is. That God would become flesh and blood and walk among us to show and lead the way. It’s incredible in all it craziness.

What has dawned on me though is the realisation that Christmas may be more important that Easter. At Christmas preachers can’t wait to mention Easter but I think if we forget to mention Christmas at Easter we miss something massive – Jesus’ life before death.

In a sense, his resurrection validated his way, his truth and his life.

If we reduce Jesus to a cross we reduce Jesus to nothing but a theological equation of salvation.

It is only when we remember Jesus’ life that we begin to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

It is Jesus’ life that is our example. We are called to carry our cross not die on one. It is incarnational that we are supposed to be. We are the new contextualisation of God.

Quick Post-Christmas Thought

Isn’t it interesting that people are usually more excited Christmas eve than they are boxing day?

Consumermas

I wanted to write something about Christmas for a while, well, since Christmas really, but I didn’t know what to write. I still don’t really know, but I want to write something, so here goes…

I don’t like Christmas. Sorry, but I had to be said. The grumpy old man in me again. Well, I do like Christmas, but I don’t, but then I do, but really I don’t. And hence you can see why I don’t know what to write.

I like Christmas. I like opening presents and sometimes I like to give them. Especially when I’ve taken time in choosing them and wrapping them. I like the looks on people’s faces when they open them. I like decorations (sometimes, let’s not go mad). I like receiving cards, especially the ones from people you don’t expect or haven’t heard from in ages. I like trees, and being warm even though its cold, and candles and ‘theologically sound’ (so my sister once described) midnight mass, and cribs and nativity stories. I particularly like spending time with family, playing those games you only play at Christmas, and of course I like the food. Roast parsnips, Yorkshire puddings and stuffing and turkey and Christmas pudding and custard and everything else.

But then I don’t like Christmas. I don’t like the thought that I celebrate good news with mindless and unnecessary consumerism. I don’t like the fact that I give and receive presents (although they are lovely and very generous) while others, the ones who really need it, don’t receive anything. I don’t like that I eat gratuitous amounts of food, while others go hungry. Something inside me doesn’t sit right when I say theologically sound prayers for the sick, poor, hungry, homeless and lonely at midnight and then go home curl up in my warm heated home and drift to sleep awaiting my hoard in the morning.

In fairness Christmas is a mass concentration, a bottleneck, of how I live my life daily – Constantly in a mix, torn between living Christism or Consumerism

‘At least there is much more truth and wisdom in the Christian Christmas than there currently is in the version now ruled by the God of Mammon. After all, look in any bible and I defy you to find Jesus Christ exhorting his disciples to go forth and shop!’
Max, UK – atheist (taken from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/3244944.stm)