Christmas Truth

One of our favorite Christmas books is the award-winning The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. We also love the extraordinary animated movie of the same name. It’s the story of a skeptical boy at the beginning of adolescence who learns the power of belief when he takes a magical train ride to the North Pole. There he meets Santa (“Mr. C.”) who grants him the “first gift of Christmas,” a bell from Santa’s sleigh.

 

Given the beauty and the positive theme of the book and movie, it was disconcerting and troubling on a recent trip to see a criticism of The Polar Express on a sign outside a fundamentalist church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “The first gift of Christmas was a child,” read the message. I’m sure if an emoticon had been available to put up, it would have been a shouting face expressing disapproval or even anger. And if italics could have been included, the word “child” would have been so emphasized.

 

What kind of believers have to put down a work for children, whether The Polar Express or some other, to make their point? They must be terribly insecure in their faith! And how is it that they saw in the book and movie a threat to Christianity, another front or issue in the alleged “war on Christmas” (the totally bogus invention of the Religious Right)? The author’s and screenwriter’s subject was not the biblical Christmas story at all. In fact, it had to do only with one boy’s journey back to belief and the embrace of the true spirit of the season at one particular Christmas. Surely a heart-warming and uplifting message for all people!

 

The Bible and the wonderful story of the first Christmas point us to our Savior, and the gift of the first Christmas was a child. Indeed, each year he is born in us. That truth is not diminished or rendered false by other stories or approaches to the season.

 

Christians who live with joy and hope and regard others with good will need not be threatened by truth and beauty whatever its source, whether a children’s tale or someone of another faith or no faith at all. The God of the Bible, the God whom the Child of Bethlehem reveals to us, is so big that all truth is his truth, all beauty his beauty. It’s a shame that some of those who consider themselves defenders of the faith deny and/or forget that all too often.

 

© 2009 Tom Cheatham

 

 

Ero Cras

(O Sapientia)

O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,

pervading and permeating all creation,

you order all things with strength and gentleness:

Come now and teach us the way to salvation.

Come, Lord Jesus.

 

(O Adonai)

O Adonai, Ruler of the house of Israel,

you appeared in the burning bush to Moses

and gave him the law on Sinai:

Come with outstretched arm to save us.

Come, Lord Jesus.

 

(O Radix Jesse)

O Root of Jesse, rising as a sign for all the peoples,

before you earthly rulers will keep silent,

and nations give you honor:

Come quickly to deliver us.

Come, Lord Jesus.

 

(O Clavis David)

O Key of David, Scepter over the house of Israel,

you open and no one can close,

you close and no one can open:

Come to set free the prisoners

who live in darkness and the shadow of death.

Come, Lord Jesus.

 

(O Oriens)

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light,

Sun of justice:

Come, shine on those who live in darkness

and in the shadow of death.

Come, Lord Jesus.

 

(O Rex Gentium)

O Ruler of the nations, Monarch for whom the people long,

you are the Cornerstone uniting all humanity:

Come, save us all,

whom you formed out of clay.

Come, Lord Jesus.

 

(O Emmanuel)

 O Immanuel, our Sovereign and Lawgiver,

desire of the nations and Savior of all:

Come and save us, O Lord our God.

Come, Lord Jesus.

         

            Silence

 

God of grace, ever faithful to your promises,

the earth rejoices in hope of our Savior’s coming

and looks forward with longing

to his return at the end of time. Prepare our hearts to

receive him when he comes, for he is Lord forever and ever.   Amen.

 

 

Since at least the 8^th century CE, the “O Antiphons” have been sung or chanted in liturgy in the Western Church during the Octave before Christmas (December 17-23). They may have been used as far back as the 5^th or 6^th century, when there is a reference to them in the writings of Boethius, a philosopher and poet. French Benedictines not so long after were reciting the prayers and then giving gifts to each other.

 

Those same monks arranged the antiphons in such a way that they formed an acrostic. Starting with the last title and taking the first letter of each in turn, they formed the Latin phrase ero cras (“tomorrow, I will come”): Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia. Their creative arrangement reminded them of the promise of Jesus’ advent (coming, parousia): “Surely I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20). 

 

I love this litany! First, for its extreme age. In this time of disposable everything, we need truly ancient traditions that have been developed and shared and valued over the millennia, enriching the lives of countless numbers of believers. In reciting the O Antiphons, we are connected in a deep and enduring way with those who have gone before us.

 

Second, for its imagination. We become so lazy in our address to God and Jesus, preferring only a couple of titles like “Father” or “Lord.” But the Bible is full of wonderful terms that would take our worship and prayer to a new level, if we would but seek them out. The seven words (in Latin) used in the O Antiphons barely scratch the surface of what the Scriptures offer us as a resource for our relationship with our Lord.

 

Third, for its longing and passion. Can’t you feel the ache in these prayers? Surely in these days of economic crisis, unending and fruitless war, genocide, corruption, greed, fear, and on and on, we need the intervention of divine providence that these ancient lines call for. Particularly for those bound in whatever way—by debt, by addiction, by prejudice, by lust for power—these prayers plead for freedom and help. And for us all, in our deathly culture from which we cannot extricate ourselves, there is no other hope for breaking free from the tomb than our God’s swift coming.

 

You readers who worship in a liturgical church that observes Advent and follows the customs of the ages will most likely pray these prayers yourself this Sunday as part of the gathered community. If you do not have that opportunity, I encourage you to use them for personal devotions, ask your pastor to include them next year on the Sunday before Christmas or both.

 

Have a blessed Christmas, and be encouraged by these words “ero cras,” “tomorrow, I will come.”

 

© Tom Cheatham

 

Notes

 

The version of the O Antiphons I use here comes from Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church (USA).

 

My source for history is Fr. William Saunders, “What are the ‘O Antiphons’?” http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0374.html

 

Advent Reflections II: Comic Relief

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy…” (Psalm 126:1,2a).

 

ABC Family network recently showed all the Harry Potter movies through Goblet of Fire as part of their “25 Days of Christmas” line-up. (What Harry Potter has to do with Christmas, I don’t know. But I’ll figure that out later….) As I watched Harry and Ron and Hermione use their respective talents to solve puzzles and ultimately battle Voldemort, I noticed how many comic moments in these films I had missed or ignored. Apparently, the pratfalls and silliness will be even more evident in Half-blood Prince, so that even I can’t miss them.

 

Certainly as the storyline becomes ever darker, the body count mounts, and Harry moves toward his ultimate showdown with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, comedy is even more essential. We cannot emotionally, physically, and/or spiritually sustain constant horror, suspense, and sorrow. Somewhere we need a chance to take a breath, relax, and laugh a little, to entertain hope that the heroes (and we ourselves in real life) might just get out of a dire situation after all.

 

Especially in the Roman Catholic and liturgical Protestant churches the upcoming third Sunday of Advent (December 14, “Gaudete Sunday”) provides such comic relief. It invites us to laugh like those whose dreams of homecoming have been fulfilled by the startling action of the God who does great things (Psalm 126). We exchange our garments of sadness for gaudy, festive finery (Isaiah 61:3, 10). We are called to sing with Mary, so that our spirits rejoice in God our Savior (Luke 1:47).

 

And how we need our spirits to be lifted and refreshed! We are in the midst of a global economic crisis. New jobless claims in our nation are at a 26-year high while AIG executives get $4M bonuses. The automakers, once the bastions of American industry, have had to go hat in hand to Congress asking for a bailout, a bid which has now been rejected. Corruption in government has once again reared its ugly head, this time embodied in the governor of Illinois.

 

But even if corporate executives were not greedy and incompetent and government officials not arrogant and unresponsive—in other words, if we had been spared this current crisis—even then we would still be subject to the common maladies of the season. Lonely people would continue to long for companionship at a time when there is so much emphasis put on togetherness. Families would keep squabbling and fighting over anything and everything from the holiday meal to the number of presents under the tree to unmet expectations and failed promises. As in past years, stress would increase exponentially (for reasons, see previous sentence).

 

Advent and Christmas bring us the promise of deliverance. Not merely a temporary reprieve from the sorrow and stress (comic relief), but a permanent solution we might call “karmic” relief. In the coming of Christ at Christmas and the Second Coming we also anticipate in Advent, God breaks the endless cycle of sin and its consequence, the relentless crushing load of hopeless destiny. We hear words of comfort, assuring us that our sin is forgiven and our warfare ended (cf. Isaiah 40:2, KJV). The world is turned upside down, which is to say back to the way God intended, as the proud and strong are scattered, but the humble and poor are lifted up and fed (cf. Luke 1:47-55).

 

As Frederick Buechner once observed, the gospel is comedy (Telling the Truth). It’s a story that makes us laugh like those who dream, and through and beyond the laughter leads us to hope that weathers any crisis.

 

© 2008 Tom Cheatham

 

 

 

Advent Reflections I: Black Friday

“[T]hose who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains” (1 Timothy 6:9,10).

 

 “If they say, ‘Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us wantonly ambush the innocent; like Sheol let us swallow them alive and whole, like those who go down to the Pit. We shall find all kinds of costly things; we shall fill our houses with booty. Throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse’—my child, do not walk in their way, keep your foot from their paths; for their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood” (Proverbs 1:11-16).

 

A week ago today, on Black Friday, Jdimytai Damour, a temporary worker, was asphyxiated as he was trampled at the Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, NY. According to news reports, he was trying to shield a pregnant shopper from the throngs of customers pushing their way in. Apparently, being the first to get a bargain item was worth one dead man to the savages who burst the door hinges at the store. What were they after? A 50-inch HDTV for $798, a vacuum cleaner for $28, a 10.2-megapixel digital camera for $69, and recent DVDs for $9. What’s a human life compared to filling your home with such stuff?

 

A Wal-Mart official, in predictable corporate-speak, called the incident “unfortunate.” No, it wasn’t unfortunate. It was an example of what happens when the perverse greed of a big corporation out to make every possible dollar meets the lust of frustrated crowds trying to get something on the cheap. In short, the perfect storm of human sinfulness. Wal-Mart is as culpable as whoever it was who actually trampled Mr. Damour. The store put him at the front door because of his big size, but gave him no training in crowd control. They apparently did not follow the practices other retailers had used to ensure order and calm¹. And, they had scheduled those door-buster deals in the first place, which according to one store worker, “weren’t even that good”².

 

Black Friday was separated by only one day from the first Sunday of Advent. The contrast could not be more stark, the difference in values they represent more pronounced. Advent is about waiting for a Savior; the Black Friday crowds rushed to do evil. Advent calls us to peace; the crowds practiced violence. Advent invites us to give and reach out; Wal-Mart offered deals designed not to help its customers, but to increase its bottom line. Advent tells us God is with us. Black Friday encourages us to see ourselves not as part of a community companioned by God, but as individuals who must get what they get by pushing others out of the way, even if it kills or hurts them.

 

I heard on a TV news show that the same morning Mr. Damour was being trampled to death, a family joined with others for worship in their Unitarian church in Minnesota. Shunning the crowds at the malls and the big box stores, they sought to express and to teach a different way, a perspective on life that is decidedly counter-cultural. They didn’t need to “fill [their] houses with booty.” Instead, they came out in the dark and cold to say that consuming and getting and having is not all there is to life.

 

There weren’t thousands or even hundreds gathered at that church. But in this case, the majority doesn’t rule; truth does not reside with them. The little group of worshippers, not the rapacious, deadly shoppers at Wal-Mart, teach us what this season is about.

 

© 2008 Tom Cheatham

  

¹http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,459844,00.html 

 

 

²http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/nyregion/30walmart.html