c. 1996 Religion News Service
(Dale Hanson Bourke is the author of”Turn Toward the Wind”and publisher of Religion News Service.)
UNDATED _ It is more than ironic, I fear, that one of the lowliest births of recorded history is commemorated this time of year with Nativity sets crafted from porcelain, fine glass or precious metal.
These little scenes that often decorate our homes are supposed to remind us of Jesus’ birth. Instead, they serve as commentaries on what we pretend Christianity is and what we hope will be required of us if we follow the one who was born in a manger.
Jesus’ birth couldn’t have been easy. Anyone who has spent time on a farm knows that the sights, smells and sounds of a barn full of animals is hardly a fitting setting for childbirth. The circumstances were terrible, but they were an appropriate beginning for someone who was to spend his life in downward mobility, challenging the prevailing culture.
The ministry of Jesus is a perfect example of how not to succeed in life. He confronted and offended the power brokers of his day and spent time with the outcasts and losers.
He never courted the wealthy or the leaders, but was delighted to draw his following from the poor, sick and oppressed. The miracles he performed were never for effect, and were often spent on those who would have been happy simply to receive a handout or a kind word.
When, despite his efforts, he was lauded and called a king, he turned even on his own followers, finding fault with their adoration when it was centered on his human image instead of his godly representation.
The faith to which he called people promised little earthly payoff. He told the rich to give everything to the poor and follow him. He offered no return on investments in this life, preaching instead about another kingdom to come.
Many thought he was crazy. Others saw him as a threat. Those who chose to follow him had little in common except an open heart and a willingness to walk away from everything they had treasured before. The faith they embraced became all-consuming and lifestyle shattering.
Followers of Christ were weirdos or worse in their culture.
In our society, one can be a Christian and be accepted at every level. There is little discrimination because of the label. In fact, in some professions, Christianity is worn as a guarantee of character.
But the Christianity embraced by most of us is like the china mangers sitting in our livingrooms. It has been cleaned up and set on a shelf to be admired as we scurry after the other things of life. It has little to do with the lowly, messy birth of Jesus or his radical, counter-cultural life.
Following the example set by Christ, if we were really serious about it, would make us just as strange today as those first Christians were in their society. As Flannery O’Connor wrote in her paraphrase of John 8:32,”You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you odd.” It is easy to spot Christians during this season by their decorations. But it should be easy to find them during the rest of the year, too. They would be the downwardly mobile, culturally insensitive oddballs who care more about the poor than the powerful. They wouldn’t need a symbol or a label to identify themselves. Others would just point and call them weird.
MJP END BOURKE
