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December 22, 2005, 8:37 a.m.
A Sword Will Pierce Your Heart
The dark side of Christmas.
By Amy Wellborn
About a year ago, my husband and I traveled across the chilly cornfields of Indiana to the frigid cornfields of Ohio to have our younger son baptized.
It was not quite, but almost, spur of the moment. A bishop, an old friend of my husband's, would be visiting his mother for a few days after Christmas, and yes, he could certainly squeeze a baptism in. The parish church was available, the bishop's sister and mother would be witnesses, and there you have it: insta-baptism.
Perfect timing. A baptism is a happy occasion centered on a baby. Christmas is another happy time centered on a baby, and a fine opportunity to focus ourselves on the vaunted Real Meaning of Christmas. Babies, love, and family. Comfort, joy, and peace.
But perhaps not so fast.
The discussion about Christmas in our society is endless and loud. The self-proclaimed defenders of Christmas go about daring salespeople to wish them "Happy Holidays," boycotting businesses that sell "Holiday Trees," and reminding one and all that Jesus is the Reason for the Season.
Which he is. But I say that many of the Defenders of Christmas have it almost as wrong as the secularists. Their vision of Christmas centered on words, a rather generic baby, and nostalgic visions of families and fireplaces actually gets no closer to the real Real Meaning of Christmas than do generic wishes for peace and joy in this holiday season.
What they forget, neglect or conveniently ignore is what we can not-too-dramatically call the Dark Side of Christmas.
The really traditional Christian remembrance of the Nativity is not about sweetness. It is about awe, fear, and trembling, and it is shot through with hints of suffering to come.
Mary, with a scandalous pregnancy. Joseph, courageous enough to take her on despite it. A birth among farm animals. The threat of death, from the very start, necessitating flight. Mary, told by the prophet Simeon that because of her son, her soul will be pierced by a sword (Luke 2:35).
We view the elements of the story in a nostalgic haze how sweet to be born with the goats. But is it? Is it sweet? Would you want to give birth among goats?
How charming that Mary and Joseph had to wander before and after the birth of the child. Charming until you remember the reasons why, the doors shut in the face of a heavily pregnant woman, the threat of death from a jealous king.
Look at it closely, with clear eyes. At every turn in this story of this baby there is threat and fear and powers circling, attempting to strike at the light.
We might forget, we might wrap up Christmas in good cheer, but Christian tradition doesn't. It's striking that the next day the very next day after Christmas, the Church remembers not glad tidings, angels, and shepherd boys, but a bloody death by stoning. St. Stephen it is, the first Christian martyr.
St. Stephen is followed by St. John on December 27th, who may not have met a violent death, but who, the tradition tells us, died in a prison of sorts, in exile for his faith, far away from the "civilized" powers that had sent him there.
December 28th brings us back to babies, but with no relief it is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, remembering the children Herod ordered slaughtered, according to Matthew's gospel, in his rabid fear of the rival king.
The message is clear and hard: Following this baby, as he reaches to us from the resin manger, looking out at us with the soft-eyed cattle and docile sheep, comes at a price.
There is an edge to Christmas, a harshness, and a different kind of promise than that implied by the easy words of peace and glad tidings. It is a mystery, all of it. The Word made flesh indeed, but into a world that was from the beginning set against it, that sought with every bit of strength at hand to stay in the darkness.
So it was that our baby's baptism was on that day, December 28, the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The heart skips a beat now. Not so fitting, perhaps, as we contemplate the lovely soft living baby being washed, but in the shadow of sorrow.
My baby's baptism in Ohio was, according to earthly judgment, a disaster. The weather was miserable, icy, and cold. No one's cameras would work. The bishop decided we might as well immerse the baby fully, which was okay with us, but turned out to be not okay with the baby, who commenced screaming his lungs out at the unexpected bath, and not okay either with the bishop's elderly mother, who was quite horrified. And circling around us the whole time was our three-year-old, who seemed to have absorbed the demons driven out of his brother during the exorcism part of the rite, and who would not, in the face of many and varied threats, be still. He raced like yes a demon, in and around the church, constantly, through the whole affair. I've helped out at many baptisms in my work in parish ministry but this one was, I think, the worst.
But perhaps it was more fitting than it first appears. Trivial problems, yes, but still an apt metaphor for the Christian life begun there, and yet to come for Baby Michael: not the warmth of a tidy, neat manger scene, with everyone gathered in comfort, calm, and peace, but something startling and new, a shock to the system, entered upon in a world of frustration and discord, circled by forces intent to disrupt.
Glad tidings of comfort and joy, and Merry Christmas indeed. But without awareness of the risk of discipleship, and the reality that the baby in the manger ends up hanging on a cross, those words have about as little power to change the world as "Happy Holidays."
Powerman said:Kathy I think most people realize that it was a fearful situation for Mary and Joseph. But Christmas is supposed to be positive because you are celebrating the birth of your savior. The circumstances around the time of the birth should pale in comparison to the positives that his life has brought to the table.
And also that whole Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays nonsense is the most fabricated non-issue ever. People really need to think for themselves sometimes instead of getting into some hysteria because of O Reilly.
Like I said, might be more of a Catholic think. Have a great Christmas, I will enjoy the JOY, but remember what the baby was born to do and Praise Him for that!archangel said:I prefer to look at the "Bright" side of Christmas...this is a really depressing piece!
Kathianne said:Ahem, do NOT tell me what I should be doing or thinking or feeling. I have always thought for myself. For instance, I think you are wrong, but you can believe anything you wish or not. I don't like O'Reilly, nor Kerry, nor you-so far at least.
Powerman said:What is your problem? Seriously. What the fuck is your problem?
Kathianne said:Like I said, might be more of a Catholic think. Have a great Christmas, I will enjoy the JOY, but remember what the baby was born to do and Praise Him for that!
Kathianne said:Excuse me, but you should watch the response. Mine was in response to your post, I did not flame you, you did me. Warning one.
Powerman said:Kathy you are obviously mentally ill if you think I flamed you. The reason I snapped at you is because you snapped at me for thinking I flamed you when I clearly did not. I want you tell me in which way I flamed YOU in my response. I think you are just imaging things because your hatred for me knows no bounds. It's sickening actually.
Kathianne said:Just to be clear, I've given you positive rep more than twice. PM'd you when things got sticky before. Offered condolences on your friend. Yeah, I'm sure out to get you.
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Once again, questioning. Cool off for 24-whoops my bad! 48 for 2nd banning.Powerman said:So what you are saying is since you're the moderator it is ok for you to fly off the handle and assume that I am flaming you when I'm clearly not? Doesn't make sense. I'll forgive you on this one but there was no reason for you so snap back at me because I said nothing to flame you in my first response. Maybe you need to read my posts with a more open mind so you don't imagine certain things happening. If anyone else would have said the same thing you'd probably agree with them.
Kathianne said:Like I said, might be more of a Catholic think. Have a great Christmas, I will enjoy the JOY, but remember what the baby was born to do and Praise Him for that!
archangel said:I am a Catholic but never do the depressing thingee....MERRY CHRISTMAS..to you too!
Abbey Normal said:Perfect, Kathianne!
Here's my somewhat cynical view of the piece: the writer was more upset by her "disaster" baptism experience than she lets on, and sought a way to make herself feel better by comparing it to a negative vision of Christ's birth.
Powerman said:Kathy I think most people realize that it was a fearful situation for Mary and Joseph. But Christmas is supposed to be positive because you are celebrating the birth of your savior. The circumstances around the time of the birth should pale in comparison to the positives that his life has brought to the table.
And also that whole Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays nonsense is the most fabricated non-issue ever. People really need to think for themselves sometimes instead of getting into some hysteria because of O Reilly.
GunnyL said:Your post is THE textbook example of the left-wing ostrich in action -- keep turning your back and closing your eyes. If you can't see it, it doesn't exist.
Fact: IF this was a fabricated, non-issue, then what exactly was it that Sears, Target, Wal Mart, et al DIDN'T back down to? By your statement, they had NOTHING to change, since what they were being accused of was false.
Yet ALL jumped through their butts to get the "Merry Christmas" signs up. Where were they if this isn't an issue?
Fact: They tried to cater to the PC and miscalculated who possessed the power. The American consumer voiced his/her displeasure by petition and boycott; which, is our right by Constitution.
Now take your spanked little ass into the corner with some soothing ointment and keep applying it until it's "all better."
