Christmas at crossroads Celebrating Christmas 2020 in an era of a pandemic-by Rev. Fr. Leopold Ratnasekera OMI

Source:Island

Ph.D., Th.D. Oblate Seminary Ampitya’

The worst pandemic ever to hold humanity to ransom since the Spanish Flu of 1918/19 that killed over 50 million people world-wide, has by now come to stay as a devastating health hazard of stunning magnitude and an eerie threat to life on a global scale. The ever-mounting statistics tell us the depressing story of millions of victims who either by now had contracted this deadly virus or hundreds of thousands who have succumbed to it and the challenges that confront medical personnel and health care workers throughout the world, battling both with arresting the decease and bringing healing to those languishing in their care. Meanwhile, the whole world awaits the day when the vaccines being administered so far, will succeed infallibly in preventing this disaster getting further aggravated. In such a bleak scenario of death’s pale hovering over humanity bringing in its train immense human loss, pain, and suffering inflicted with scant respect to age or social status nationality etc., one can legitimately raise the dilemma of having to accommodate a grandiose celebration which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ at this year’s Christmas. The two phenomena seem poles apart considering the joyous nature of the latter on the one hand and the depressing nature of the former on the other.

The birth of Jesus Christ was no fairy tale studded only with glad tidings, song, gifts and smiles. It had both lights and shadows. First of all, the new-born infant thought to be of royal dynasty and expected to be the Messiah that would liberate an oppressed people under colonial power of the imperial Rome of Caesars, saw the light of day far away from the abode of his parents in the dead of night of a cold winter, with a manger of straw for his bed and a bundle of swaddling clothes to warm his tender body. His parents though from royal lineage were a carpenter’s family. Though angelic voices rang out from the hills heralding “Glory to God on high and Peace on earth to all men of goodwill”, the angelic chorus was harkened to only by some humble shepherds who were keeping their flocks by night in the town of Bethlehem, where the birth took place. To make it worse, since there was no room in the inn, where the parents sought refuge, they had to be content for the birth, in a stable where the cattle lay in the backyard. Though there was a song in the heavens and three kings came from the orient bringing gifts to the new-born, there was already a threat to the life of the infant from the cruel hand of Herod who ordered a merciless massacre of infants under two years of age, with the intent of destroying the carpenter’s son gossiped about to be a king, thus posing a chilling threat to Herod who ruled the country in the name of Caesar, The Christmas story recalls how the new family was forced to flee to Egypt which was miles away from Bethlehem to avert danger. This arduous journey marked a long period of exile turning them into migrants.

It is only with the news that Herod who plotted is dead, they could make a secure journey back to Nazareth where the family would live till, Jesus as a young man will decide to venture out of home choosing to be an itinerant preacher and a wonder-worker. When taken to the temple for an initiation rite, a wise man takes the child into his hands prophesying that the infant is set for the rise and fall of many and that one day, a sword of sorrow will pierce the heart of the mother. This was a reference to the cruel death of Jesus on a cross decreed by the Roman authority falsely condemned by religious authorities of the time linked to the temple of Jerusalem. These were all the chilling shadows which cast a certain gloom over the happy birthday of the world’s redeemer born on the first Christmas day 2000 years ago. This birth narrative which on purpose places the birth of Christ is a context of utter poverty, anonymity, helplessness and trial, portrays a story that should evoke mixed feelings almost amounting to a sign of contradiction. How could the appearance of God made man, the Incarnation of God, one of Christianity’s core mysteries be overshadowed by such distressing circumstances? Yet, in his work, he would overturn established religious norms in favor of compassion and mercy, challenge hypocrisy, reconcile opposing factions, claim power to forgive sin, preach love of the enemy, heal the sick, drive out demons, praise the innocence of children condemning the rash and despicable behavior of adults, raise the dead, heal sicknesses, promote love of the enemy and even command the roaring waves of the high seas, stilling storms to a whisper.

This humble carpenter’s son from the hamlet of Nazareth in the south of Galilee was destined to revolutionize entire cultures and civilizations through the era of the Roman Caesars and regime of Constantine, followed by the oligarchic period of the medieval ages, then through renaissance and the industrial revolution to finally impacting even the modern and post-modern era of our so-called techno-scientific secular age. His teachings have provided not only spiritual but also philosophical and cultural insights that have inspired various schools of scientific thought in areas of culture, politics and civil life. Today there is prolific discourse on human dignity and fundamental human rights, social justice, human freedom and liberation, dignity of work, sacredness of life and sanctity of the institution of marriage, human solidarity and fraternity and finally dialogue at all levels seen as the language that facilitates communication and collaboration in a world that is highly complex and diverse: in fact, a global village. Only the language of dialogue can bring together people of many tongues. While the earliest disciples of Jesus strived to accommodate the reconciliation of the Jews and the Gentiles, Paul the apostle took the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth to all the main cosmopolitan centers of the Roman empire such as Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica and finally to imperial Rome itself. According to Christian philosophy, based on human dignity, there was to be no distinction based on religious or ethnic differences such as between Jews and Greeks, social status as between slave and free men, and even distinction based on gender as between men and women. It brought in indeed a radical socio-cultural revolution. It is this same doctrine that is being defended today in the free world about the equality of all as declared in the United Nations Charter of 1948 and being diffused in all democratic societies worldwide. It is to be noted that within the Church is propounded a social doctrine anchored on four pillars: namely, human dignity of all, preservation of common good in all endeavors and the twin-principles of solidarity and subsidiarity. These principles guarantee a free and just society anywhere. The Gospel flavor diffused by Jesus Christ continues to influence even current controversial and disturbing issues such as proliferation of nuclear weapons, ethically questionable medical procedures, unfair economic systems and environmental issues.

Christmas 2020 instead of sending negative messages ensures on the contrary, the possibility of engendering hopes and dreams that will help us get over the present pandemic crisis that plagues the world and trust in a God who loves the world and also in humanity which will tend increasingly to fraternize in efforts to overcome periods of crisis, tragedies and challenges. The pandemic phenomenon has led the world to treasure human life and work hard to save and protect it with all the means it can muster. The whole world community is drawn into an incredible solidarity sharing the global pain of all who are victims, scattered as they are in all corners of the globe. There is generosity with time and financial resources to attend to the enormous expenditures incurred in the care of the sick and with the prevention of the viral decease. Medical technology is at work to dispensing remedies for healing the sick and providing preventive measures. The whole of humanity yearns, prays and joins hands in ushering the hour and day of total freedom from the devastation that is, plunging the world population into disarray. The true spirit of Christmas inspires us to identify with all those placed in trying circumstances and rush to the aid and solace of all who are afflicted by the current pandemic. Despite the fact that the pandemic crisis would surely stall customary external celebrations, crowded solemn liturgies in churches, frantic shopping and gifting or parties; we can this particular Christmas turn our gaze on the divine infant born in a stable, his family in exile with danger to the life of the new-born and a whole tangle of uncertainty and sheer poverty that surrounded the nativity scene. The spirit of Christmas cannot grind to a halt falling a victim to these adverse conditions that may prevent an exotic celebration, for it is good news about life, family warmth and challenges that usually confront the struggle for survival. The latter feature notwithstanding, the moving story of the Christmas child is the greatest story ever told in our hearing and worthy of admiration. This alternate manner of celebrating Christmas 2020 with a difference, will make us resonate better with the current situation of anxiety prevailing globally making it easier as well without loss of hope, to contend with the tragedy at hand.