What Christmas Means to Me

    
We are just a few weeks away from Christmas. Trees are in the shops. Lights are outside houses. The shops are getting crowded. Hang on. There is more to it than trees and shopping. Christmas is not about the wrath and brimstone that some people think it is. It's all about love.  

There has been too much talk lately about what people should and shouldn't be. Of course we should be kind to each other. Most agree that stealing, greed, or dishonesty are not beneficial. Be moral by all means.  

But I feel deeply concerned by the rule books written by modern-day pharisees. They say it's not about works. And yet there is an ideal standard for us to live up to.  

Jesus died for regular human beings like you and me. He didn't tell us to conform to a perfect image before being saved. He sacrificed himself to show his love. 

I probably wouldn't fit into the category of 'conservative.' I just don't feel the need for a white picket fence in a domestic life. There is nothing wrong with working hard at home. But it is not for everyone. 

Some people feel comfortable in domestic paradise. But I don't want to be fenced in. I would rather fly like a Skyline Pidgeon than be caged in. I feel much more fulfilled by work and networking.  

There is too much talk at the moment about how people should live the ideal life. There are assumptions about which relationships are on moral high horses. There is no moral high horse! Jesus saw us all as equally different.  

I learned the limitations of a conservative life very early on. It seems safe until it's gone. There is no benefit in depending on something which is not dependable. 

We need to be peaceful and loving with the families we choose or are born into. But nobody should limit that peace and love.  

People from all walks of life should be as peaceful as Jesus was. Jesus hung out with a tax collector who ripped people off their money. He chatted with a Samaritan woman who had five former husbands. 

He wasn't just comfortable around morally unique individuals. He cared about those who were simply different or unwell. When the rest of society shunned sick individuals, Jesus healed them to show compassion. 

That's what real religion looks like. This is not just about sick or immoral people. It's about diversity in all flavours.  

Christmas reminds me of the welcoming love of Jesus. It shouldn't matter who we are or who we love. We should be able to stay by ourselves if that keeps us content. Whichever way, Jesus cared for all equally.  

Celebrate Christmas. Celebrate freedom. Celebrate acceptance. 





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