[Freefromwar] A day of Joy and Rejoicing in the Darkness

[Arthur Blomme]

Hope you are well and filled with Joy and rejoicing.

my Christmas reflection for you.

Art


      A day of Joy and Rejoicing in the Darkness

    Art Blomme

The rose coloured candle of the third Sunday of Advent is Gaudate, "a 
day of Joy and Rejoicing".

When I think back to my early understanding of the Christmas story I 
initially recall the beauty, joy and rejoicing at the birth of Jesus.

Though, not long after, a contrasting memory surfaces.  I recall my 
shock as the story proceeds to account the holocaust of all the children 
of Bethlehem under the age of two who were slaughtered by Herod.

Even at this early age of 6 or 7, I remember being so outraged by this 
horrible evil act. The parallels of this story to today's genocides of 
innocents throughout the world are astounding. They invoke this same 
sentiment in me.

Herod tells the Magi "Go and search diligently for the young child and 
when ye have found him bring me word that I may come and worship him 
also(Mathew 2)." Herod is telling a story (a narrative) that hides his 
intention to murder the baby Jesus.

In like manner today the legacy media, controlled by the rich and 
powerful narrates the story that most of us believe to be reality. This 
is how the powerful can steer their citizenry to behave in their 
interests.  This is how they hide the skullduggery  of their wars and 
their crimes against humanity. This is why the lie that Zionism is equal 
to Judaism prevails.

In Mathew's Christmas story Joseph is warned of the danger to his family 
in a dream.  As Leonard Cohen sings  “There is a crack in everything, 
that’s how the light gets in”.  Joseph courageously faces the reality of 
this danger.  He makes a monumental decision to flee from this danger to 
the land of Egypt.  The hardship faced by the holy family does not 
diminish the beauty and joy experienced in the birth of the child Jesus.

So to are we called to have the courage to face up to the darkness of 
evil and take action to diminish the power of evil over us.

An analysis of evil was fundamental to the teaching of the early church. 
As is the case with the Christmas story most instances of evil in the 
New Testament arise from political institutions that wield power over 
life. Jesus' crucifixion is achieved by the instituted  powers of 
ancient Israel collaborating with the instituted powers of The Roman 
Empire. John's book of the apocalypse tells the tale of the Roman Empire 
depicted as a horrific beast overcome by the shining new Jerusalem 
descending from the heavens .

Our faith is that evil is no match for goodness. The joy and beauty of 
Creation fills our hearts even as we dare to look into the belly of the 
beast.  In the darkness of evil permeating our world we light this 
Candle of Joy and Rejoicing for we are children of light.




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