Almost There

El Cristiano sabe que nada puede reclamar,

pero que puede esperar todo.

The Christian knows that he can claim nothing;

but can hope for everything.

-An Aphorism of Don Colacho

The phrase: defending the faith, is very capable of creating a monster.  It is the sentiment behind all sorts of fundamentalism.  It is the sentiment that most often leads even our holiest inclinations down a path towards violence.  It is the creed of the Taliban, and it is the creed of the crusaders and the inquisitors. It is also the creed of many who do not consider themselves fundamentalists, but who still behave as though their god was so fragile and tenuous that it needed to be protected from dirty things like sex and greed, and shielded from anyone who might ask a presumptuous question.

I think creeds and statements of faith are a good thing for the church to do from time to time, but we need to understand that they're paving stones not battlements, they are to support our feet and give us a place to stand, they are not to hide behind, or worse, to be flung at the enemy.

I don't think I'm being presumptuous in saying that it looks like the war on Christmas has failed yet again.  It's here, I'm still thinking about Jesus being born, and putting the finishing touches on a Christmas Eve service that will be attended, hopefully by a large crowd of the faithful.  The government or roving bands of terrorists will not storm in and force us to say "happy holidays," instead of "Merry Christmas."

There will be the usual distractions of thinking about gift giving and gluttony, travel and time with family (whom you may love on variegated levels), there will be some who are there on a yearly sojourn because Grandma made them go, there will be college kids who want mostly to bump into old friends, but none of that can stop Jesus.

The Roman occupation didn't stop him.  The questionable situation of his mother and her betrothed did not stop him, being away from home did not stop him, having only lowly shepherds to bear witness to the angel armies did not stop him.  The fact that all of those stories (except the Romans) may, in fact, be fabrications of a Gospel writer with something to prove, does not stop him.

We can claim nothing.

But sometimes nothing is a real cool hand.

We can hope for everything, because God has demonstrated that he can work small, he can work vulnerable, he can show up with or without recognition.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

What do we need to do to protect the light?  Nothing.

What can we do to help the light grow?  Everything.