Dept of Light Against the Dark
Christmas, Perhaps
Christmas means "Christ's Birth" and I no longer believe in the Christ child. And yet ...
... at this time of year I am reminded that some stories are true, even if they never happened.
Perhaps the tension between what my head and heart believe at this time of year is why I am so apt to cry as Christmas approaches. Perhaps they are tears of joy; perhaps they are tears of sorrow. I never can tell.
Perhaps they are what happens when my soul is overwhelmed by the story of the babe in Mary's arms, surrounded by wondering shepherds and the beasts of the stable given the gift of speech with which to adore him. Perhaps I'm crying in wonder at the Star in a sky full of stars, heralding the baby's birth. Perhaps my eyes are filled with a sky brightened even further by the hosts of Heaven joining the adoration at the stable, and telling humans that God loves them, and now joins them in joy on Earth.
Time enough for the baby to grow up, for the child to take on so many mantles; of teacher, of isolation in the midst of loving followers, of temptation and, ultimately, the painful mantle of dying so that our souls might live.
Time enough, I suppose, to ask why my Creator might think our souls deserved to die in the first place. Time enough. And that time isn't today.
After all, humans have the ability to take on burdens for the ones they love; to suffer so that their loved ones don't have to; to die in their place, if necessary. Mothers and fathers for children; daughters for mothers; friends for friends. It is one of the relatively few reasons I think the universe allows us to continue. That and the stories we create.
We can, at our best, fight for love; fight for its light. We all, at our best, stand up with the candles of our souls against the dark.
So perhaps the story of the babe is to bring joy to humanity, but also to remind us of our own capacity to love and give of ourselves.
If you doubt, just look around us in this plague year, and watch doctors, nurses, carers battle for the lives of those struck down.
They, too, are battling darkness, fighting for the light.
So, yes. Some stories are true even if they never happened.
To my believing friends - Alleluia, Christ is born.
To all my friends, Happy Light Against the Dark.
Here are a couple of my Christmas stories; one in the Whoniverse and three born of "It's A Wonderful Life."
And finally, here is music that I love, a reminder that all our darkness can be filled with light that can make even the dark warm and good.
.
. This entry was originally posted at https://kaffyr.dreamwidth.org/780969.html?mode=reply, where there are currently
comments. You can comment there or here, but prefer to read over on DW. You can comment there using open ID if you don't have a DW account.
Christmas means "Christ's Birth" and I no longer believe in the Christ child. And yet ...
... at this time of year I am reminded that some stories are true, even if they never happened.
Perhaps the tension between what my head and heart believe at this time of year is why I am so apt to cry as Christmas approaches. Perhaps they are tears of joy; perhaps they are tears of sorrow. I never can tell.
Perhaps they are what happens when my soul is overwhelmed by the story of the babe in Mary's arms, surrounded by wondering shepherds and the beasts of the stable given the gift of speech with which to adore him. Perhaps I'm crying in wonder at the Star in a sky full of stars, heralding the baby's birth. Perhaps my eyes are filled with a sky brightened even further by the hosts of Heaven joining the adoration at the stable, and telling humans that God loves them, and now joins them in joy on Earth.
Time enough for the baby to grow up, for the child to take on so many mantles; of teacher, of isolation in the midst of loving followers, of temptation and, ultimately, the painful mantle of dying so that our souls might live.
Time enough, I suppose, to ask why my Creator might think our souls deserved to die in the first place. Time enough. And that time isn't today.
After all, humans have the ability to take on burdens for the ones they love; to suffer so that their loved ones don't have to; to die in their place, if necessary. Mothers and fathers for children; daughters for mothers; friends for friends. It is one of the relatively few reasons I think the universe allows us to continue. That and the stories we create.
We can, at our best, fight for love; fight for its light. We all, at our best, stand up with the candles of our souls against the dark.
So perhaps the story of the babe is to bring joy to humanity, but also to remind us of our own capacity to love and give of ourselves.
If you doubt, just look around us in this plague year, and watch doctors, nurses, carers battle for the lives of those struck down.
They, too, are battling darkness, fighting for the light.
So, yes. Some stories are true even if they never happened.
To my believing friends - Alleluia, Christ is born.
To all my friends, Happy Light Against the Dark.
Here are a couple of my Christmas stories; one in the Whoniverse and three born of "It's A Wonderful Life."
And finally, here is music that I love, a reminder that all our darkness can be filled with light that can make even the dark warm and good.
.
Click to view. This entry was originally posted at https://kaffyr.dreamwidth.org/780969.html?mode=reply, where there are currently
comments. You can comment there or here, but prefer to read over on DW. You can comment there using open ID if you don't have a DW account.