Don't Throw the Jesus out With the Bathwater

Over the last two decades, and probably longer, the Christian churches have been rocked by tales of sexual misconduct and paedophilia. Also, the corporal punishment that passed for discipline in church run schools in the last century would today result in job loss if not imprisonment. Society at large has largely cast off the deference and respect in which clerics were formerly held. In the main these changes were inevitable. The pillars of the community sometimes turned out to be both fallible and friable and the court of public opinion quickly passed judgement. Fast forward to December 2017 as we look forward to holidays and, for Christians, the birth of Christ. It is a time when families gather to exchange gifts and share meals. Children eagerly await the arrival of Santa Claus and shopkeepers cash in on the annual bonanza. Indeed, commercialism has replaced the reverence with which we once prepared for quiet, joyful renewal in our lives and the awakening to the possibilities that peace could bring to humanity. It’s as though the support group has stolen the show from the main act. For as long as man has walked the earth he has pondered on his place in the universe. And for just as long others have sought to provide the answers, and profit from the effort, through ‘Tinsel Religion’. But all the great religious movements of the world share an understanding that we are One and live at our best when sharing the bounty of this beautiful planet and protecting it as careful custodians for future generations. ‘Bigger Picture Thinking’ demands that we set aside petty differences and allow ourselves to be ‘born again’ into the world we want to live in; a world of peace, love and harmony full of the awe and wonder with which we view a new born infant. So for all their failings, church institutions have at their core a priceless truth and one which every generation appreciates. Our need to live in a spirit of goodwill has never been more urgent because we’re trading cross-border insults as if Armageddon is ok. It’s not! Let’s get back to the purity of the message that is Christmas. Let’s look beyond the ‘Bells and Smells’, tinsel, fragrances and over-indulgences that have been encouraged by those who would distract us from awakening to the power and opportunity God has given us. Certainly we need to wash away institutionalised corruption and demand accountability from our leaders – both religious and secular. But infinitely more important is to protect the knowing that perfect innocence can be born in each of us in every moment and to nurture our highest potential.Not only our health, but our survival as a species depends upon it.