[FONT="]We are at that time of the year again when throughout most of the world people exchange greetings, cards and (if they are fortunate) gifts as we celebrate Christmas. earlier today on my way to work I could hear the words of a popular Carol on the radio, "Noel Noel, Noel, Noel...." My mind drifted to the Biblical passage in Luke 2 where Angels appeared to a group of poor, frightened shepherds and told them that The Saviour had just been born. They then sang of "...peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind" KJV (Emphasis mine). For a moment I had to ask the hard questions - those that are asked by many people that have struggled to reconcile this Biblical expression of "goodwill to all men" with the stark reality of pain and suffering experienced by people of all nations, races, social classes and religions.
What is particularly disturbing is that a great deal of this suffering is inflicted (directly or indirectly) by other human beings. From the abusive husband who verbally batters his wife day after day, to the thief that steals valuables. From the school bully to the terrorist with a bomb strapped to his or her body in a market place. From that unfaithful girlfriend to the bombardment that Aleppo is being subjected to in Syria, there is evidence of a lack of any goodwill between people.[/FONT]
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So I asked the question out loud as I drove, " So Jesus, where is this goodwill that those angels spoke of?" Because if we are honest, most of us would admit that we do not see much evidence of goodwill these days. In one part of the world people are being killed in the name of religion. In some other place a police shooting raises racial tensions to boiling point. Whilst in another place, a maid batters and stomps on a toddler because she didn't like the way the child's mother treated her. Somewhere in West Africa, a group of young girls- children- will spend yet another Christmas without their families, terrified and at the mercy of the brutal men that kidnapped them all in the name of religion. It seems like everywhere we look we find more and more evidence of ill-will, malice, racism, bigotry, dishonesty, greed, lust, jealousy... the list is almost endless. So where exactly is this goodwill?[/FONT]
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Well for one thing if you read the passage more carefully you will notice that the goodwill spoken of is not goodwill between men (and women).
It appears that the Angels mentioned in Luke's Gospel may not have had our own goodwill in mind. Let's face it: humanity's goodwill is not really that reliable at all. It is too turbulent and too often changes with the winds of circumstance, public opinion, emotions, economic fortunes (ask any immigrant whats it like living in a post Brexit UK) and political correctness (which isn't always right). I mean think of past Christmas holidays in your own experience. How many homeless people do we chip in to help during the holiday "season of goodwill?" Yet many will not even spare a thought for the same struggling souls throughout the year. In fact the "season of goodwill" seems to imply that there is a specific time - a window period if I may - when we can be kind and helpful. So when this season ends what happens? Is our goodwill folded up and packed away into a box together with Jesus? (He is said to be the "reason for the season" isn't He?) until...next year? I am the first to acknowledge that there are many many people who devote their lives to improving the well being of others. This is always commendable. However, for all its knowledge and technological achievements this world is still an unfriendly place. And its not the lions, hyenas, black widow spiders, hurricanes and tornadoes that make it particularly unsafe and unfriendly. It's people.
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[FONT="]Now I don't know what your beliefs are concerning Christmas and how its celebrated. I'm not sure whether or not you celebrate it at all. There was however a night, long ago, when these Angels sang about Gods goodwill toward mankind in their impromptu concert performance for a group of frightened shepherd boys. This goodwill towards humanity was expressed in the cries of a baby boy in somebody's stable in a village called Bethlehem long ago. This was the beginning of something new. Something that most people have not grasped yet. HOPE had silently entered the world via stage left whilst humanity looks for something more spectacular at the main entrance: stage right. So now I'm asking myself: what am I really celebrating this Christmas? Is this just another holiday or does it point us to something far greater than we can imagine? perhaps a grand plan that is still unravelling, still being fulfilled.[/FONT]
What is particularly disturbing is that a great deal of this suffering is inflicted (directly or indirectly) by other human beings. From the abusive husband who verbally batters his wife day after day, to the thief that steals valuables. From the school bully to the terrorist with a bomb strapped to his or her body in a market place. From that unfaithful girlfriend to the bombardment that Aleppo is being subjected to in Syria, there is evidence of a lack of any goodwill between people.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
So I asked the question out loud as I drove, " So Jesus, where is this goodwill that those angels spoke of?" Because if we are honest, most of us would admit that we do not see much evidence of goodwill these days. In one part of the world people are being killed in the name of religion. In some other place a police shooting raises racial tensions to boiling point. Whilst in another place, a maid batters and stomps on a toddler because she didn't like the way the child's mother treated her. Somewhere in West Africa, a group of young girls- children- will spend yet another Christmas without their families, terrified and at the mercy of the brutal men that kidnapped them all in the name of religion. It seems like everywhere we look we find more and more evidence of ill-will, malice, racism, bigotry, dishonesty, greed, lust, jealousy... the list is almost endless. So where exactly is this goodwill?[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Well for one thing if you read the passage more carefully you will notice that the goodwill spoken of is not goodwill between men (and women).
It appears that the Angels mentioned in Luke's Gospel may not have had our own goodwill in mind. Let's face it: humanity's goodwill is not really that reliable at all. It is too turbulent and too often changes with the winds of circumstance, public opinion, emotions, economic fortunes (ask any immigrant whats it like living in a post Brexit UK) and political correctness (which isn't always right). I mean think of past Christmas holidays in your own experience. How many homeless people do we chip in to help during the holiday "season of goodwill?" Yet many will not even spare a thought for the same struggling souls throughout the year. In fact the "season of goodwill" seems to imply that there is a specific time - a window period if I may - when we can be kind and helpful. So when this season ends what happens? Is our goodwill folded up and packed away into a box together with Jesus? (He is said to be the "reason for the season" isn't He?) until...next year? I am the first to acknowledge that there are many many people who devote their lives to improving the well being of others. This is always commendable. However, for all its knowledge and technological achievements this world is still an unfriendly place. And its not the lions, hyenas, black widow spiders, hurricanes and tornadoes that make it particularly unsafe and unfriendly. It's people.
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[FONT="]Now I don't know what your beliefs are concerning Christmas and how its celebrated. I'm not sure whether or not you celebrate it at all. There was however a night, long ago, when these Angels sang about Gods goodwill toward mankind in their impromptu concert performance for a group of frightened shepherd boys. This goodwill towards humanity was expressed in the cries of a baby boy in somebody's stable in a village called Bethlehem long ago. This was the beginning of something new. Something that most people have not grasped yet. HOPE had silently entered the world via stage left whilst humanity looks for something more spectacular at the main entrance: stage right. So now I'm asking myself: what am I really celebrating this Christmas? Is this just another holiday or does it point us to something far greater than we can imagine? perhaps a grand plan that is still unravelling, still being fulfilled.[/FONT]