Christmas Greetings from Sabeel 2009
When we read the Christmas story through Palestinian eyes and in light of our daily experience, it assumes and acquires great relevance. We live in the shadow of empire, and the modern state of Israel is part of this empire. It is easy for Palestinians to contrast their oppressive situation under the Israeli occupation with people of Jesus’ day who lived under the brutal occupation of the Romans with its daily oppression and humiliation.
The message of the manger
In the Christmas story, the Angel addressed the frightened shepherds with the words,
“Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
The sign for finding the Christ-child was this: He would be wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. What is the manger’s message for us at this Christmas season? There are three important messages that emanate from the manger:
- God in Christ has become accessible. By opting for this lowly birth place, God chose the lowest common denominator – the manger. Had Jesus been born in a royal palace, the shepherds would not have been even allowed to come close to him. Jesus Christ was born in a manger making God approachable, reachable, and available to all people. This is the great sign of God’s love. Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth, “For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9). In Christ, God has become accessible to all of humanity – to the low and high, to the simple and the sophisticated, to the poor and the rich, to men and women. The lowly manger stands for the availability of God for all people — the lowly shepherds as well as for kings and princes.
- The manger stands for a different kind of a Messiah. When Luke was writing his gospel, the city of Jerusalem and its temple had already been destroyed by the Roman Empire. The Jewish militant Zealots had been crushed viciously by the Roman army. Luke was emphasizing an important message that is represented by the manger. The seemingly contradictory sign that the Christ is lying in a manger does not bode well for the birth of a great leader who was supposed to come from the line and lineage of his great ancestor David. The manger represents poverty and destitution. Indeed, Jesus came from that line of ancestry but he chose and chartered a different way. It was the way of meekness and humility, the way of sacrificial love, the way of nonviolence.
- The Christ of the manger brings peace through justice and not through violence. There is a revolutionary message that comes out of the manger. Indeed, the child in the manger is the Christ (Messiah), the Savior, and the Lord. But he is neither like Caesar who achieved his peace through war, nor did he take after his great ancestor David who was equally a man of violence and war. Christ’s peace is won through love and justice. Interestingly, Luke’s words that describe Jesus were applied to the emperor, Caesar Augustus. Luke takes those titles – liberator, savior, lord, and god that people attributed to Caesar and gives them to Jesus Christ. The contrast between the two figures, in the eyes of the world, was huge. It is a comparison between sunlight and the feeble light of a candle that can be easily snuffed out. Obviously, the sun was Caesar and the Christ-child was an insignificant baby born in an insignificant remote corner of the Roman Empire that anyone has hardly ever heard of.
The great difference, however, is in the faith perspective of the writer Luke and the early Christian community. For them, Jesus Christ is the authentic Savior and Lord. Caesar brings peace through military victory that is tremendously costly in terms of human life and property, and the peace it brings is always shaky. Christ can bring peace through justice and love that when applied and utilized is more stable and permanent. This is what Christians believed and that is why they dared to defy the Caesars.
When we read the Christmas story through Palestinian eyes and in light of our daily experience, it assumes and acquires great relevance. We live in the shadow of empire, and the modern state of Israel is part of this empire. It is easy for Palestinians to contrast their oppressive situation under the Israeli occupation with people of Jesus’ day who lived under the brutal occupation of the Romans with its daily oppression and humiliation.
Empire always talks about peace but its peace is false and temporary. Its peace is imposed and it is an extension of its oppressive military power. It can never last because it is built on injustice. In fact even Israel’s peace rhetoric is a mirage that quickly disappears and people are hit with the glaring reality – injustice, violence, and humiliation. Such peace cannot be trusted.
Christ’s peace is built on justice and is acquired through nonviolence and love. It can be trusted. Therefore, the unjust and illegal Israeli occupation must come to an end. Doing justice to the Palestinians insures the achievement of peace through justice. In this Christmas season we need to re-commit ourselves to the Liberation that Christ brings; and to continue to walk the way of peace through justice and nonviolence.
Sabeel wishes all its friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the message of the manger inspire our activities throughout the coming year!