“Grandma, what do you mean when you say that all things are Relative - even Christmas ?”
“Well now, Baby Girl, why let’s take the Nativity Story about Baby Jesus’s Birth. After all, this is the Season of Christ-mas for Christians everywhere,” Grandma replied matter-of-factly.”
In the Story of Christ’s Biblical beginnings, Herod the Jewish King behaved as though he hated the Jews. As though he hated his very own people. Especially if they proved to be a Political and Cultural irritant. In his Book, if you disagreed with him you were an out-and-out Misfit.”
“But Grandma, what did they ever do to make him so mad at them?” Baby Girl asked innocently.
“To Herod’s thinkin’ most of the Jews under his rule were Social Troublemakers and miscreants that needed to be kept under his thumb and in control. You see, Herod was an Authoritarian, Monarchial, Fascist, Elitist who believed in rulin’ with Fear and the Power of the Sword, because they did not have AK-47’s, and tanks, and airplanes, and Nuclear Bombs back in those days. Thank heavens.”
“And because Herod was such a hot-headed and totally selfish ruler, and I must stress once again that Herod was Jewish too, which made all of his despicable decisions all the more despicable. But because of his power hungry ways he inadvertently created an environment that made him very nervous, suspicious and superstitious of his very own people, just as they had come to be nervous, suspicious and superstitious toward him.”
“And so they were all stuck together in this morass of bad and violent feelin’s and actions with no place to go. And Herod did not like to be made fearful about his own well-bein’ and his Power, and so he acted out in some very inappropriate ways.”
“Well, Baby Girl, back then, and in Herod’s mind and his kingdom, the Jews were The Other. If you were not fiddlin’ to his tune then you were perceived as The Other. And any Body or any Thing perceived by a Society to be The Other is Scape-goated for any and all wrong or wrong-doin’s within that Society for a number of reasoned or misbegotten Reasonin‘s and Unreasonin‘s.”
“The Other is always ridiculed, reviled, excluded, poked at, kicked to the curb, belittled, hurt, burned out or even killed within all Societies. That’s why the lessons of Christmas and the like are so important to all Societies.”
“So, one day, due to his own fears and the Political and Cultural pressures within his kingdom. And suspectin’ the truth of some old legends and stories being floated around about a Usurper King, and possibly a Jewish Usurper King, havin’ already been conceived and/or born or soon to bein’ conceived and/or born in the very near future, Herod got even more fidgety about losin’ all he had worked so hard to get and keep.”
“Well, ’ole Herod couldn’t have that. So, he made a pronouncement throughout all of the lands. He told his Soldiers - his Ruthless Warriors to find all of the First Born’s of the kingdom and kill them one and all. And probably to kill any and everybody who got in their way of doin’ so. And to turn all of the peoples of his kingdom into Spyin’ and Suspicious Tattle-Tells against one another. He wanted to eradicate any possibility of a possible Phantom Usurpin’ Terrorist bein’ born under his nervous and all powerful, watchful eye.”
“And so his Maraudin’ Dark Army swept throughout all of the lands murderin’ every First Born they could find in the name of Herod, the King. His Dark murderin’ Army terrorized the entire kingdom and beyond.”
“Well, Mary and Joseph caught wind of King Herod’s, and other Arabs’ fears, wreakin’ wrack and ruin across all of the country, and they decided to skip town and go on the lamb.”
“Grandma, why would they go on the lamb. They weren’t criminals.” Baby Girl disagreed.
“As far as Herod and his Advisors were concerned they were. The King’s Wishes were the Law of the Land back then, Baby Girl. And he wanted all of the First Born’s dead. And if you tried to stop that you were contrary to his wishes and will, and so therefore a criminal. Those were different times, back then, Little One. They did not have our American Constitution or the Bill of Rights to protect them. They lived at the whim and mercy, or lack thereof, of the King and his Chosen Few of the Land,” Grandma explained.
“Now, where was I ? Oh yes, as I was sayin’, Mary and Joseph did not see themselves as Terrorists. Nor did they see their soon-to-be-born Child to be a possible Terrorizin’ Usurper and Cultural Over-Turner of Societies. After all, Joseph was just a Carpenter by trade and Mary was just an everyday Housewife. They probably were not given to mixin’ into the Politics of the day. They probably just wanted to Fit into the Kingdom they were livin’ in. They probably just wanted a Peaceable and Comfortable Life to raise a Family and work within.”
“So they flew the coop and hit the road with whatever they could carry and get onto the back of the little donkey religious paintin’s always depict Mary ridin’ on, and Joseph leadin’, while she and Joseph were on the run to protect their unborn Baby.”
“Transportation was rather slow and organic in those days, but sure-footed and reliable none-the-less.”
“Well, one evenin’ Mary’s water broke and the young couple and their soon-to-be born Child needed a place to rest and be given Birth at, and so they stopped at a little Inn at or around the city of Bethlehem.”
“However, they were in for more bad news and bad luck, because there was no room at the Inn, and so they wound up payin’ to stay in the stables with the livestock located somewhere else on the Inn’s property.”
“Unfortunately, things like this often happen to Poor Folks on the road to somewhere else. Especially possible Terrorists on the run from the Fears of Others which transforms into Hatred and Violence.”
“So, the reviled and frightened Muslim - oops, excuse me, Hindu, uhhh excuse me, Buddhist, no,no, The Other, oh for Pete’s sake, these lapses in my memory are so confoundin’ at times. I meant to say, Jewish couple and their soon-to-be born Child settled down in the Stable’s hay and the elements of the Night that historical evenin’ in Bethlehem”
“And after an excruciatin’ while, Mary gave Birth to Baby Jesus, our Blessed Christ, in a lowly manger, with the stars and the livestock lookin’ on and quietly shinin’ in the sky and chewin’ on their cuds, and respectfully tryin’ not to make too much of a mess during Mary’s more distressful birthin’ moments.”
“The ox and ass, and other Stable critters, were acceptin’ of Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus, ‘cause they did not see them as Political or Cultural possible Usurpers and Terrorists. They were just fellow Earthly Bein’s in need of cover and whatever protection they could find from the hostile elements and the King’s Dark Army lurkin’ all around the countryside on their Dark murderin’ Search for the Christ Child outside of the Stable.”
“In that Moment in Time, Mary, and Joseph, and the Baby Jesus, and the Critters were all in their own safe little Stable World.”
“And there was that beautiful Bright Star in the Night Sky that seemed to be shinin’ right over the Stable as if it were heraldin’ and rejoicin’ the Birth of Baby Jesus.”
And then out of the Night arrived Three Strangers from a far-off land. The Three Wise Men. The Three Magi offerin’ precious Gifts to the very Special Christ Child born under that very Special Star that they had been trackin’ for quite some time.”
“Like the Critters in the Stable the Three Magi did not see Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus as The Other deservin’ of exclusion, derision, fear, hate or death. They were all just fellow Bein’s deservin’ of Respect, Dignity, Acceptance, Inclusion, Compassion and Celebration. And the Christ Child embodied, magnified and epitomized those very Positive Attitudes and Actions.”
“Christ, though others on down the line would try to make him so, was No Terrorizin’ and murderin’ Terrorist, but a Child who would become a Great, but Humble Human Bein’, as God had so planned, in order to Greet and Embrace the World with the Spirit of Life Changin’ - World Changin’ Love, Tender Mercies, Forgiveness, Outreach, Wisdom, Understandin‘, Empathy, Compassion, Peace, Respect and Dignity for One and All - for Everyone Choosin’ to Be of like Mind, Heart and Soul.”
“There was no room in the Manger or the Stable for that matter, for fear or bigotry or terrorism or exclusion or hatred of any kind or sort at all. ‘Cause that is not what Christ or his Teachin’s are or were about or what He came to Teach and Role Model for All of Humanity. No ma’am, not at all.”
“Christ is all about Reachin’ Out and Embracin’, and tryin’ to Understand and Helpin’ to Heal the Misfits, the Lepers, the Sick of Body, Mind or Spirit, the Maimed, the Lame, the Criminals, the Jew and Gentiles, the Muslims and Hindus and Buddhists, the Agnostics and Atheists, the Poor, the Homeless, the Feared, the Hated, the Forgotten and Misbegotten, the Downcast and Outcast, and so on and so on and so on…”
“That, Baby Girl, is what the Spirit of Christmas is really supposed to Be all about. The Gifts of Life, and Love, and Peace, and Enlightenment for Every One and Every Thing, includin’ this beautiful blue gemstone of an Earth we’re all so very fortunate to call our Planetary Home in the Heavens.”
“Grandma, every year you tell me the Nativity Story it’s always just a little different….”
“And that, Baby Girl, is this year’s tellin’ of the Nativity Story that the World is on the verge of makin’ one big sham of an Anti-Nativity Story of the Nativity Story in real time, if we all don’t Wake up and smell the coffee.” Grandma interrupted.
“But I can’t drink coffee yet, Grandma. Is that Relative ?” Baby Girl said with dismay.
“Well, in a manner of speakin’, but you can certainly greet each and every day Singin’, ‘This Little Light of Mine, I’m gonna’ let it Shine‘. And that Baby Girl is just what Christ would have you Do. Sing it and Act on it each and every day.”
“Oh, I Love that Song, Grandma. It’s one of my favorites. Will you Sing it with me right now ? And then maybe we can Sing ‘What Child Is This‘, and some other Christmas hymns together ?”
“It would be my Honor and great Joy to do so, Baby Girl. Ready ? ‘This little Light of Mine. I’m gonna’ let it Shine…….Let it Shine. Let it Shine All the Time.’ ”