The above is a phrase from a song by John Lennon of Beatles’ fame. And this is the time of year when people celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, the returning of light (when the Northern hemisphere begins to tilt back toward the Sun), Festivus and more. Celebrations during this time of year for many religions is a time to reflect and work to get right with god (no matter how god is defined, from a Jewish or Muslim god to nature).
Many of these celebrations are oriented toward a worship of the created, which is the basis of pantheism and, when you get down to it, Climate Change. All iterations of getting right with god, depending on how you define god.
Just to be clear, everyone has a god. It may be your bank book or your wealth. It may be something bigger than that – helping the poor or making a better world for the next generation.
But in the midst of all these actions to get right with the world or god, calling out, as John Lennon did in his song, what’s wrong with the world and can’t we do better, you must, at its core, realize all of our words and actions have failed to make a difference.
If they did, we’d be working on other problems rather than fixing the same problems that have been around for thousands of years. When you consider this perspective – you – me – we – and the world should all have the same name. Sisyphus.
That’s the guy in Greek mythology who was condemned to spend eternity pushing a boulder up a hill, only to have it roll down the hill when he got it to its ‘final resting place.’
When you look at it from this perspective, it seems hopeless and our lives become meaningless.
Yet there is hope.
Whether it was in Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall, today (December 25th) is the day we celebrate ‘that unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ, the Lord.’ (Luke 2:11).
And why celebrate this? Why celebrate another baby? Another mouth to feed in an already overpopulated world?
It is because this babe in a manger is the Savior, Christ the Lord. God recognized all humankind efforts were meaningless and not worthy of fixing the problems of this world. No amount of sacrificing our lives or another’s life; No amount of spending your life to help others; No amount of money or any other material item, could fix our world.
‘But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem (to buy back) those born under the law, so we could receive the adoption of sons.’
John Lennon died hopeless, wanting an earthly solution. That’s why he embraced certain political ideologies.
In contrast, many who you will never hear of, found the solution. He is Christ, the Lord.
That’s why I am pleased to say, without reservation, Merry Christmas and sing “Glory to the Newborn King.”
