Once upon a time there was a boy born in the Middle East. Stories vary as to his exact genealogy as well as to the circumstances of his birth. The boy grew up and stirred up quite a few things. He was a social change maker – and not everyone loved him and his ideas. If I got the story right, he was all about equality, empathy, connection and love. He died young, as political and religious leaders were scared of his influence and that he could undermine their power positions. After his death, his story was adopted by many political and religious leaders and retold in a way to strengthen their power positions… 2018 years later we still celebrate the birthday of this boy and tell his rewritten story. We celebrate at a random date chosen by people in the Northern Hemisphere to suppress the age-old celebrations of winter solstice and the returning of the light. The storytellers mixed up the stories a bit, and called the boy the bringer of the light. They portrait him in sacred places with white skin and blonde hair (I always wondered how he could look like this when he was born in the Middle East?), and millions subscribed to this story and honour his life to this day. However, a few “pagan traits” survived (such as trees and magic mushrooms, nowadays represented by red decorations hanging in pine trees).
I wonder what this boy from the Middle East would say to people living now, claiming to be his followers and living “good lives” according to the principles he tried to establish so many years ago. What would he say when reading stories like this and listening to the comments of some people?
I wonder what this boy from the Middle East would say to people living now, claiming to be his followers and living “good lives” according to the principles he tried to establish so many years ago. What would he say when reading stories like this and listening to the comments of some people?
What about “love your neighbor like yourself”? From reading the story about the boy's life, he seemed to me as someone who looked beyond judgments and conventions. He tried to connect and spread love wherever he went – and was eventually killed for it. I haven’t heard any story of him that supported bullying or racism or any other form of dismissing fellow beings. Quite the opposite…
Please, people, leave your fears of “the other”, of “otherness” in general behind and recognize: we are all in this together.
Through the internet and other technologies our world has become closer than ever. Our children communicate and play with children who are living on different continents. They are “switched on” and know that Saint Nicholas wasn’t a big white fella in a red and white coat from the North Pole (this is another story altogether, and a not very well documented one either – you can read about it here); they also know how most people from the Middle East look like. Get your facts right and create some true magic and sacred space with and for them! Your children listen to rap music and learn that nothing is just “black & white”. Don’t worry about taking the magic of Christmas away from your children – commercialism and Western mindsets have already done that. By holding on to a twisted story you are actually doing way more harm to them, to yourself and to others. Hold sacred magic space by spreading the original message of Christmas which is all about loving each other, getting along with each other and sharing with each other, no matter what!
I feel sad that Rob Herewini (read the story above) and many others have to endure such cruelty – as had this man in the famous story thousands of years ago.
Please, people, leave your fears of “the other”, of “otherness” in general behind and recognize: we are all in this together.
Through the internet and other technologies our world has become closer than ever. Our children communicate and play with children who are living on different continents. They are “switched on” and know that Saint Nicholas wasn’t a big white fella in a red and white coat from the North Pole (this is another story altogether, and a not very well documented one either – you can read about it here); they also know how most people from the Middle East look like. Get your facts right and create some true magic and sacred space with and for them! Your children listen to rap music and learn that nothing is just “black & white”. Don’t worry about taking the magic of Christmas away from your children – commercialism and Western mindsets have already done that. By holding on to a twisted story you are actually doing way more harm to them, to yourself and to others. Hold sacred magic space by spreading the original message of Christmas which is all about loving each other, getting along with each other and sharing with each other, no matter what!
I feel sad that Rob Herewini (read the story above) and many others have to endure such cruelty – as had this man in the famous story thousands of years ago.
It’s time to change the narrative!!!
In this sense: Merry Christmas everyone!
In this sense: Merry Christmas everyone!
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