FAITH WOULD SUFFICE

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There was a man who seemed to be in more than a bit of a fix for a long time now. He's got a mean supervisor at work, but it was the work he really wanted so he stayed. His wife got sick with diabetes at such a young age and the medical bills started to pile up. His children were doing good in school, but he has to find a school that's not so expensive because later in the year, he just couldn't keep up with the bills. He's got a good family, and he's got good friends, and being humble he never acknowledged that this was because he's a good man. He just knew these to be blessings so he was thankful in his prayers. Life should be happier in all sense. But he still has no money, and things are getting worse.

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One day, there was a tropical storm and rains hit roofs really hard for a day and two. Suddenly, flood was ravaging the city and water came very fast. The man and his family run up the second floor of their house, but water reached that, too. And then they climbed up the roof.

And while his wife and kids were being drenched by rain that hit hard on the face, while they all hugged each other because of the cold, while they cried... so scared because there is no sign of rescue, the man couldn't help but cry out.

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"Lord, I have been honest to you! I have followed your advice. I love my neighbor as I love myself. I love you more than anything or anyone else! I've always been honest and thankful in my prayers! But now, my family is in the worst danger I've ever seen anyone face! What have I done wrong? Save us! Make this go away!" Seeing his wife's pale face, his kids shivering, he threw his shame to the wind and added, "And make me a millionaire! I will buy a new house in a high place and buy the business so I can get rid of my nasty boss! Amen!"

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They huddled in the roof for more than an hour more, shivering, waiting. Suddenly, the rain stopped. Flood went down little by little until they deemed it safe to go down the second floor of the house. Water slowly went down still, and the next day showed the terrible catastrophe the flood has left in its wake. 


A lot of people were killed, a lot of houses destroyed. As he and his family cleaned their house of soaked furniture and dirt and useless things, the man, ever thankful and sober, went down to his knees on the muddy floor and prayed to thank the Lord that his family was still complete.

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The next day, he won the lottery.

And before the month was over, he's bought a new house in high ground where the ground was solid and water wouldn't flow in its natural route to find the sea. And he bought the business where he worked but he did not get rid of his former nasty supervisor because he has family, and because anyway, as the new boss, he can control him with an eagle eye and punish him if he deemed it fit. Of course, being a sensible man this was something he does not do without cause. So the mean supervisor couldn't make anyone under him suffer again. He brought his wife to doctors so she could be better treated, and he transferred his children to a better school. 

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And then he prayed on the carpeted floor of his new bedroom, a little overwhelmed still because he's not been that rich. He prayed and he thanked the Lord for the new blessing, a little bewildered. What has made his Lord changed his fate?

And then he realized, with the epiphany of someone who'd suddenly waked, that in all of his prayers and all of his hymns, of all the things that he'd asked the Lord in his entire life, until that day that he'd prayed in the roof of his old house he had never thrown all his worries to the wind, and  BELIEVED his faith would suffice.

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What's the 'It' About Christmas?

It's the season of Christmas and cheers are all around. Christmas Eve has passed and the season is still on. What's the 'it' about Christmas that it still survived after years of controversy about its conception? What is its x-factor that it has become a worldwide celebration that even non-Christians partake of the holidays in good faith and in good cheer?


What is Christmas anyway? Like as if you didn't know.


Christmas is the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and is celebrated every 25th of December. It is both religious and cultural and celebrated by billions of people around the globe, Christians and non-Christians alike. Christmas season closes the Advent and starts the twelve days of Christmastide, which finishes on the Feast of Epiphany in January and is a civil holiday on countries that celebrate it--which is virtually everywhere. It's a season marked by pretty decorations, lights, Christmas trees, buying of gifts, singing of Christmas carols and other practices that could be done in general or specific in a locality. Exchanging of gifts is on Christmas Eve and special food is prepared on the table and, yes, there's much laughter and merrymaking and reunions of families and friends alike.    


How did Christmas come about? Some of these, you surely don't remember anymore from your Christian Living classes at school. 


The first record of Christmas celebration on a December 25 happened in 345 AD in Rome, though nations in the East was already on it but on a January 6 in relation to the Feast of Epiphany. It was only later that they adapted 12/25 as their Christmas Day. There's a lot of controversy going on about why this date was chosen as Jesus' birthday and a lot of scholars has already theorized, explained and/or defended accordingly. The controversy revolved around the "coincidence" that Christmas Day is also celebrated in a winter 
solstice, the day marked by celebrations revolving around the pagans' worship of the sun god, like, err, his birthday? Sol Invictus, Saturnalia, Brumalia, Sankranti... all pertaining to particular gods, celebrated annually on a winter solstice before the dawn of Christianity. 'Course, defenders of the church argued that this date was chosen as a form of cosmic symbolism--winter solstice being the birth of Christ, summer solstice the birth of John the Baptist and their corresponding equinoxes their deaths. That should be fine, cosmic symbolism it is. Even living in a tropical country, 
I know that green grass doesn't grow in winter and grass is what them sheeps were munching when the angels came to announce in glorious song that the messiah has come. Except that... there seemed to be a Catholic feast that preceded every pagan feast there is in the book. There's a saint for every pagan that died a hero or a martyr. There's a pagan echo to every leaf or flower or fruit in that Christmas decor on your door. The Christmas Tree preceded a tradition of tree worship and Santa Claus is a merger of St. Nicholas and Father Christmas and his image immortalized by a famous cartoonist. Etc. Etc. In this age, when all information is just one click away, to argue about this is almost... laughable. Yet, those brainiacs aside, people will still celebrate Christmas. Like there's no tomorrow.


So why do we celebrate Christmas? Do you think it's still about religion?


For thousands of years, it has always been there. A collective desire to imprint, to secure, to identify, to symbolize. We exemplify this in our traditions, in our culture, in myths, in art. There's no religion to it--Christmas has become our own. It has become a symbol of family ties, of brotherhood, of prosperity. It's a symbol of hope that things will be better the next year; our own cosmic cycle. It has become a mythology of the perfect hero that would lead us, guide us and save us from ourselves. In it's evolution, it has become our evolution. 


For mainstream Christians who held it in loving esteem, "figures" doesn't count because Christmas is the time for giving and for caring. Christmas is kissing and bear hugs and forgiving. Christmas is good, positive vibes expressed in red, green and gold and lanterns and carols. That is why it's important. The way it has always been before it was given a different name.