Peace on Earth? [Being Indian & Christian #15]
Christmas in the midst of human suffering and brokenness
Hi Friends,
This year, we celebrate Christmas with heavy hearts. We weep for the brokenness of the world.
I do not know what each of you is going through. But I wish you all a hope-filled Christmas. We may mourn today, and yet because of Jesus there is hope.
Here are the links for this week
1. New blog post: Hope does not always wear a smile
Can we hope while we still mourn? That is the question I try and answer through this blog post.
Silent night… Holy night… All is calm… All is bright… Sleep in heavenly peace.
And yet, what about Manipur? What about Myanmar? Palestine? Ukraine? There is so little silence, so little calm, so little peace.
Very often we sanitize the Christmas story. We make it sound neat and tidy. Yet, according to the Bible, Jesus is Immanuel — God with us — especially in the midst of human suffering. In fact, the first Christmas was anything but a silent night — there was state-sponsored brutality and terrible suffering all around. Jesus perhaps could not sleep in heavenly peace — his family was fleeing government persecution and entered Egypt as immigrants seeking asylum there.
2. News from Christianity Today: Bethlehem Cancels Christmas, But Local Pastors Still Expect a Holy Night
The words people once associated with Christmas were Santa, tree, gifts, carols—all “romanticized” traditions from the West, Isaac said. Today, he thinks of words from the Christmas story of the Bible: Caesar, census, massacre, and refugee in Egypt—relevant to Palestinians who have to register to travel outside the West Bank and who seek safety in Egypt.
To Isaac, the Christmas story is about God in human form, present with people in their suffering. He pointed at his church’s Nativity scene, at baby Jesus in the rubbles: “That’s how Christmas is celebrated here.
3. The Joy of Christmas Amidst Adversity in Manipur - Hoinu Kipgen (thegospelcoalition.org)
Listening to the voices of people who are undergoing suffering helps us see the world in fresh perspectives. In this article, Hoinu Kipgen answers the question of what Christmas means in the midst of the situation in Manipur
Present circumstances may compel us to do away with the external festivities. However, this Christmas invites us to discover a deeper, more meaningful joy. It invites us to something that transcends the material aspects that usually accompanied Christmas. We can no longer focus solely on gifts, Christmas decorations, community gatherings, and feasts.
This Christmas will be one where we will redirect our focus to the real reason behind the celebration. In essence, we will be able to consider the true meaning of the birth of Christ, free from the superficial trappings of the season.
That's it for this week, folks!
Cheers,
Caleb