Peace Over Drama
"...today, as in Jesus' own time, Christmas is not a children's fable but God's response to the drama of humankind as it seeks true peace. 'He shall be the one of peace' says the prophet referring to the Messiah. It is up to us to open wide the doors to welcome Him. ... Happy Christmas to everyone!"
Pope Benedict XVI
Reflection at the Angelus Prayer
December 20, 2009
Reflection at the Angelus Prayer
December 20, 2009
Drama.
What better word to describe the human experience. It seems life mostly hinges on a continuum of played out events, some scripted, but for the most part life leans towards improvisation, adaptation, and a few surrenders. It seems difficult to understand the design of the Creator at times. The natural law indelibly written onto the heart of every human being gets consistently challenged by the evil one who simply takes the virtues and distorts them just enough to seem alluring.
The result is drama.
Some say that drama is the spice of life, but they presume that the opposite of drama is boredom. More than anything, humanity wants to exist with as little tribulation as possible; however, drama gets in the way. And one drama leads to another and to another. The drama of covetousness leads to the drama of infidelity. In point of fact, each of the Ten Commandments deals with a specific drama.
Christ came to provide the antidote to the poison of drama that was released in Eden and has been transmitted to every human being from that moment forward save Blessed Mother. When the Christian celebrates Christmas, the joy to world that gets loudly proclaimed is that the savior has come; the one who can provide the true opposite to the devil's perversion. Christmas celebrates the true coming of peace.
God Incarnate seeks the marriage with His bride the Church. Despite the drama man entertains, He, that is to say, Christ, remains ever faithful, ever true, ever peaceful. CK Chesterton wrote in his book, Day by Day, of the lack of drama in a truly happy marriage. Read this passage and envision Christ as the groom and oneself as the sensible wife.
A happy love-affair will make a drama simply because it is dramatic; it depends on an ultimate yes or no. But a happy marriage is not dramatic; perhaps it would be less happy if it were. The essence of a romantic heroine is that she asks herself an intense question; but the essence of a sensible wife is that she is much too sensible to ask herself any questions at all. All the things that make monogamy a success are in their nature undramatic things, the silent growth of an instinctive confidence, the common wounds and victories, the accumulation of customs, the rich maturing of old jokes. Sane marriage is an untheatrical thing; it is therefore not surprising that most modern dramatists have devoted themselves to insane marriage.
How sane is one's relationship with Christ? As Christmas approaches it's a good question to ponder. For if one finds that there is high drama this time of the year; if the shopping outweighs the magnitude of the reality that God physically entered into the human experience, then perhaps it is time to reexamine the meaning of the season.
Perhaps the reason that the nativity creche displayed in the public square remains so offensive to some Americans is that it does not depict a drama, but rather it symbolizes the peace they desire yet their hearts are ever closed to receive it. In dramatic fashion they expel this image of tranquility, jealous of the comfort it may bring to others.
To all believers, this author wishes a very Merry Christmas. To all non-believers, peace be with you.
What better word to describe the human experience. It seems life mostly hinges on a continuum of played out events, some scripted, but for the most part life leans towards improvisation, adaptation, and a few surrenders. It seems difficult to understand the design of the Creator at times. The natural law indelibly written onto the heart of every human being gets consistently challenged by the evil one who simply takes the virtues and distorts them just enough to seem alluring.
The result is drama.
Some say that drama is the spice of life, but they presume that the opposite of drama is boredom. More than anything, humanity wants to exist with as little tribulation as possible; however, drama gets in the way. And one drama leads to another and to another. The drama of covetousness leads to the drama of infidelity. In point of fact, each of the Ten Commandments deals with a specific drama.
Christ came to provide the antidote to the poison of drama that was released in Eden and has been transmitted to every human being from that moment forward save Blessed Mother. When the Christian celebrates Christmas, the joy to world that gets loudly proclaimed is that the savior has come; the one who can provide the true opposite to the devil's perversion. Christmas celebrates the true coming of peace.
God Incarnate seeks the marriage with His bride the Church. Despite the drama man entertains, He, that is to say, Christ, remains ever faithful, ever true, ever peaceful. CK Chesterton wrote in his book, Day by Day, of the lack of drama in a truly happy marriage. Read this passage and envision Christ as the groom and oneself as the sensible wife.
A happy love-affair will make a drama simply because it is dramatic; it depends on an ultimate yes or no. But a happy marriage is not dramatic; perhaps it would be less happy if it were. The essence of a romantic heroine is that she asks herself an intense question; but the essence of a sensible wife is that she is much too sensible to ask herself any questions at all. All the things that make monogamy a success are in their nature undramatic things, the silent growth of an instinctive confidence, the common wounds and victories, the accumulation of customs, the rich maturing of old jokes. Sane marriage is an untheatrical thing; it is therefore not surprising that most modern dramatists have devoted themselves to insane marriage.
How sane is one's relationship with Christ? As Christmas approaches it's a good question to ponder. For if one finds that there is high drama this time of the year; if the shopping outweighs the magnitude of the reality that God physically entered into the human experience, then perhaps it is time to reexamine the meaning of the season.
Perhaps the reason that the nativity creche displayed in the public square remains so offensive to some Americans is that it does not depict a drama, but rather it symbolizes the peace they desire yet their hearts are ever closed to receive it. In dramatic fashion they expel this image of tranquility, jealous of the comfort it may bring to others.
To all believers, this author wishes a very Merry Christmas. To all non-believers, peace be with you.
posted by David Jackson | 10:00 AM
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