Christmas commences the faith journey of God: Some random thoughts

The Yuletide break has given me the opportunity to work on my other blogs. It was not difficult for me to update some as there are recent activities related to their particular niche. Others are continuation of the series of articles being posted or reposted. It is on this blog  where I  take a pause. Although I have already decided on the  topic, I am a little bit cautious as I  deal with faith journey in relation to Christmas. Much more that my random thoughts lead me to write on the  faith journey of God in Jesus.

Image Credit: www.faithcommunitygarner.org

My first impulse was to relate my faith journey to Christmas. A quick flashbacks on  life’s experiences brought me to my childhood dream to become a pastor as exemplified by the life of Rev. Salustiano Cabahug in his relationship with the church and community. Unable to pursue my dream to enroll in a seminary where he graduated, I shelved that dream when I got converted to my father’s  trade whom I also idolized in his relationship with peers, subordinates and gambling clientele.

I felt so secured and comfortable in an unstable world of gambling, that my only wanting was a wife to establish my own family. Yet, it did not come, as I was more inclined to touch cards and mahjong tiles than a hand of a woman. My dreams, at that time,were more of figures to beat in number games than faces  or vital statistics of woman I want to marry. It was only when I encountered a series of life threatening motorcycle accidents that I was convinced to  enter a bible school which eventually led me to another journey culminating  in a  near fatal illness.

A mystical journey followed resulting to a bargain with God for a year of lease of life so that I could work full time in ministry. As it turned out,  it  only serves  as a transition to more journeys in life including dialectic materialist ones which have changed the course of my life, ushering  me to where I am now  with two more critical sickness as life-changing  interludes.

Image Credit: www.polmontold.org.uk

In the process of relating my faith journey to Christmas, I got overwhelmed by  God’s love and grace to me that  as I started to wonder about it, my thoughts  also wandered  on what the first Christmas could have been to God’s own faith journey in Jesus.

Undeniably, Christmas is the fulfillment of the promise and prophecy and, in some sense, a  culmination of the faith journey of the old. For Jesus  is considered the fulfillment of the Old Testament.  In Christmas,  all the labors and waiting  of the old were not in vain  because the Immanuel finally took place as foretold.

However,  it is also the beginning of the faith journey of the people to whom the incarnated God associated with. It  was not necessarily the start of the faith  journey of Mary and Joseph. They have already succeeded to hurdle the shame and embarrassment  for the controversial pregnancy of Mary prior to their  marriage and of course the stressful condition of literal journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem just the time she is expected to give birth. But it  was the beginning of the faith journey for the shepherds, and would be disciples, friends and associates of Jesus.

Image Credit: http://www.lds.org

More importantly, it  was  the beginning of   the faith journey of God who has exposed himself   to the cruelties of the world in incarnation. Logically, God knows how to handle the faith journey of humanity throughout the ages. While He knows how fragile humanity is, God has seen how they put their trust on Him in difficult situation. And despite  their failings  and backsliding, God knows how to discipline them to guide them  to the right track.  At times, He put them to test to gauge their faith but with restraints for He never allow humanity to be tempted beyond their capacity to cope.

But it’s a different story for God to entrust His life’s vulnerabilities  to humanity.  Can He really trust them,  knowing pretty well how  they have repudiated his messengers and even killed the prophets?  Can they be trusted of the intimate secrets? Can they discern the message and signs of times? What might have been in the thoughts of God when  Joseph  flip flopped  in his decision in their plight  as refugees?

Was it intentional or circumstantial  for God to commence  Jesus journey  in the care of the  lowest and most despised social groups and later on in the company of  unschooled and ordinary,  drunkard,  tax collectors and sinners? Was He more secured and comfortable in the company of these people than the  prestigious and  elite,   including the  religious ones? Were these some reasons why Jesus  showed  concerns and admiration for  the  traits of the former in contrast to the skirmishes and confrontation he had with the latter through parables and actual encounters?  Were his sighs   recorded in the bible manifestations of Jesus impatience or irritation in the course of his journey, when confronted by  humanity’s  lack of faith? What could have  Jesus felt in his faith journey when confronted by furious crowd that almost threw him off the cliff?

These questions  challenge  me to review  the Gospel  in the context of some random thoughts.

The 'womb-to-tomb' faith journey of Jesus

Article first published April 22,2011 on Ezine Articles

The Garden of Gethsemane, on the way to the cross, serves as venue of Jesus affirmation on his willingness to sacrifice as redeemer. There he wrestles with his humanity vis-a-vis the divine mandate. As recorded in the gospel, the scene in the garden portrays the last struggle. Jesus pours out his innermost thoughts and feelings to the Father. Reviewing the justice requirements and redemption scheme, he attempts to argue for other alternatives apart from the cup of suffering and death. In the end, he seals his commitment to undergo the last stage of redemption with this prayer: "Nevertheless, your will be done, not mine."

Thereafter, the culmination of his suffering takes place. The cross is only part of the "womb- to- tomb" painful experiences of Jesus. Hence, the old rugged cross is not the only thing we must cherish and exchange someday with a crown. Our salvation is not the product of the suffering of Jesus just on the cross. It is the totality of the life of Jesus that exemplifies the love of God for humanity.

From conception, he has already foretaste the cruel world system. The intrigues his earthly family encounters due to the controversial pregnancy prior to marriage. At birth, he has been exposed to vulnerable condition of the poorest of the poor, being born in a manager. His childhood experience is colored with the uncertain life of refugees to escape the persecution. Likewise, he has to adjust to the internal struggle in family relationship, as well as the immediate social environment as he keeps up the ideal living, even going against the norms.

Prior to his public ministry, he has to undergo the process of immersion. Living in a depressed community, he has seen the hypocrisy of leaders in the socio-cultural, economic and political structures. Their wanton disregard of the avowed mission to serve the people as ordained by God. How corruption and abuse of power has encroached the ideal immunity of the religious establishment. How religion has been used for business and profit. Yes, he has witness how leaders enrich themselves at the expense of the people they are supposed to develop.

Jesus also knows the struggle of well meaning people in the government and other sectors including revolutionary forces in effecting change. Their two pronged vulnerabilities- stereotype from victims and antagonism from the mainstream perpetrators. Aware of their conviction, he includes some of them in the core of his disciples, mainly composed of representatives from the basic masses.

It is in this context that our observance of religious events or even public holiday should be done in the totality of the life of the honoree. It's unfortunate that Christians have become selective in remembering the life of Jesus. Traditionally, there are only two most celebrated events in his life- Incarnation and Passion. Recent survey of the Social Weather Stations revealed that Filipinos consider Christmas as the most important of the two.

The other aspects of Jesus life are seemingly neglected, especially his manhood. Some sociologists and theologians view this as manifestation of cultural distortion or vested interests. We love to think of the baby Jesus and Crucified Christ. Their images evoke compassion. More importantly, less threatening as they reflect innocence and helplessness. But we are uncomfortable of the adult Jesus who confronts everyone without fear or favor, even turning the tables of those who make business out of religion. It seems, we want to evade the Jesus who challenges us to follow his example in service.

As one clergy observes, almost all church members can easily recite John 3:16. For it is comforting to know that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." But many do not know what is 1 John 3:16: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."