peace on earth

Peace on Earth

Luke begins the Christmas narrative by saying: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea and Herod was ruler of Galilee and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis and Lysanias ruler of Abilene during the priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas” - a very specific context.

There is always a context.   That is why this year we have seen Pope Francis praying in front of the Vatican crib with the baby Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh, the easily distinguished Palestinian head dress. How can we not remember that Betlehem has been a besieged Palestinian town on the West Bank since 1967, flanked by walls, searchlights, checkpoints, occupation, and denial of economic life. Whatever encounter with the divine we may have experienced, or seek to experience, there is always a context. This year’s global context is one of great deprivation and violence for many and of obscene ambition for power and control by a few. Into this circumstance, despite this circumstance, love continues to pour.

As we prepare for this year’s celebration of incarnation – God with us, we cannot claim or expect divine company without, in mind and spirit, seeking to host the downtrodden, and calling out the misuse of power that is the cause of this suffering by the few.    We cannot celebrate without reciprocating with love.

At home more people are living in economic precariousness.

In Sudan, Syria, Gaza, the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Ukraine, the situation for millions is much more serious than simply ‘precarious’.  The reason for this dreadful situation is not some kind of disease or phenomenon of nature inflicted upon hapless humanity, but human recklessness, mindless ambition for domination and expansion exercised by those with weapons supplied by a global economy benefitting from others misery.

Truth, with which religion and science are in lockstep agreement, is that the universe is relational to its core. The Zionist philosophy is a denial of this truth. Israel has been built not on gracious relationships, but on exclusion.  That is why violence will continue to accompany its existence until it breaks free from the political philosophy that is destroying its moral heart, as well as the physical existence of its Palestinian residents.  

I love Christmas decorations, the tree, the music, the laughter and of course, the food!  But the true gift and surprise of Christmas is what it reveals of the nature of God. And what a surprise it is. As Paul would later say: “foolishness to Greeks and a stumbling block to Jews”. God comes as a vulnerable baby.  There is no pretentiousness or grandeur.  More, this is not simply revelation about the nature of God, it is a revelation about the true nature of reality, including human reality. Peace cannot be found by winning a conflict, it is found in being at one, with oneself, with others, with the created order, and with God. 

The problem is not simply that the world does not get it, but, so often, Christian life and teaching does not demonstrate it.

The God who embraces us as a vulnerable baby embraces us with the capacity to become fully human. 80 years of human life is very short in the scheme of things. We only have one shot at it. In this period, we are to discover what it means to be fully human.  History shows the more powerful or wealthy we become, the more likely we are to completely miss the mark.

Vulnerability is seen as weakness.  Power is perceived as strength. During the past year, there have been too many examples of people condemned, even imprisoned, for giving humanity their best shot.  Thousands of Palestinians have risked everything to protect children and the vulnerable, and to provide dignity to the dead and injured. For their trouble they are labelled terrorists.  Zomi Frankcom gave her life for manning a kitchen. She gave being human her best shot. At home countless numbers have lost their employment for blowing the whistle on malpractice in their organisation. David McBride has been sent to gaol for 5 years for blowing the whistle on malpractices in the armed forces. Bernard Collaery could have faced a gaol sentence for blowing the whistle on the previous government’s attempt to steal resources belonging to the Timorese people.

Becoming fully human is our only calling.  Having been in a position of considerable authority for many years, on reflection I can see that holding that position was not the important matter, being a full human being notwithstanding that position, was the real calling. How, if at all, I managed to steer through a possible minefield of self-delusion, others will have to judge.

In the early years of my ministry, I participated in two weeklong missions in the company of the legendary Bishop Howell Witt.  On about the fourth day, wishing to tackle the matter of life and its meaning, (standing on the front pew to give more leverage to his five foot five Welsh scrumhalf stature) he would declare: “God did not come to make you more religious, he did not come to make you more prosperous, he did not even come to make you more Christian, he came to make you more Human”.

Next year we face the prospect of being globally led by leaders who appear to despise the nature of God, and the true nature of humanity revealed in the nativity.  And yes, they are all males.
Perhaps it has been ever thus.

That people can transcend their leadership is a reason for hope. Palestinian and Jewish people can and will reach above and beyond the walls that have been built to divide them. Australian citizens will fly Indigenous flags no longer recognised by prospective leaders. Christian, Jewish and Muslim men and women will celebrate together the God who belongs to none of them but serves all of them.
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Crowds asked him: “what then shall we do”.
In reply he said to them:
“Anyone who has two coats must share with those who have none
And whoever has food must do likewise. (Luke 3: 10 – 11)”