Every year as the end of December crawls near, the spirit of Christmas grips those sometimes Christians, even atheists join in and celebrate it as a cultural habit and the true believers further confirm their faith. The spirit of celebration is one of joy, community, family, love, a time to rejoice the birth of a God or son of one, or the one true King, the birth of Christ.
War has waged over this period, fought by those who call him their prince of peace, they chose the State and the profession of killing above their faith in God. In every other day of the year, such a faith is at peace with such killing and destruction, whether in his name or for whatever cause requires the slaughter of strangers. At Christmas, we are reminded about the importance of peace.
It’s around this time when we recall those moments in World War One when men of faith, far from home, exhausted, celebrated Christmas in it’s first year. On the Western Front most famously though in pockets in the East, men came together and shared moments where language was no barrier between brothers in different uniforms. In the years after, the wars beyond that 1914 Christmas such joy and commonality between man dissipated. But for that moment, those men chose peace and defied their orders, dismissed the State and celebrated their faith and love.
In the nations which claim to be secular, while also on occasion celebrating their Christian tendencies this time of year has politicians spitting out messages of joy and promises of welfare. Meanwhile arms will be sent to killers, those nations may also be active in the killing too. Killing and destroying, the reasons not even explained. It’s just war without reason or a need to address the public with any respect.
The public, media and even layers of government just accept that in some form a permanent war shall remain. Those nations will talk of Western values, some of their conservatives will even claim them to be a Christian nation but to those on the outside, in the frontiers where modern technology takes life in the ancient act of war, they have come to know such values and faith in a different light. It’s death, starvation, occupation, war, war and war. Not unique to such nations but the exceptionalism allows them to do it without end, nothing can stop them not their laws, conscience, or even claimed faith in a peaceful God.
As social media plays a moral tug of war over Lilly Phillips’ choice, where no victims are found those who proclaim faith and values are riled up with digital indignation. Judging, hating and shaming. That is what the God of their intuition would do. The soldiers who fought in the decades of war, are embraced as broken heroes, understood to have sinned and who deserve a salvation. Forgiven. Loved. Those doing the killing are suddenly non-moral actors, obediently helpless servants it seems. The leaders we are meant to blame. It’s as though for many the killing of any and all, is tolerable or at the very least a far less slight than an actress performing in sex acts.
A little boy Mohammad Saeed, unlikely to be a Christian, though in Gaza he suffers alongside many who are, used a roller blade to crawl across the ground to makeshift tents. Having had both of his legs taken by the killers in their war, the six-year old only knows the misery and the suffering that warfare brings with it. In Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Palestine others die, suffer and experience the wars that are inflicted on them.
I have seen accounts hiding behind traditional or orthodox imagery of faith, those claiming to uphold culture and proclaim whatever mythic virtues a redditor shared in meme form dismiss the suffering of such children. The Christ or God in their mind is hateful, angry, a deity of vengeance and genocide. As biblical as a compassionate and loving Christ is.
It’s unlikely that little Mohammad knows much about theology, or foreign policy for that matter in fact I suspect many of those who are killing and starving him and his community really do either. The killers follow orders, do so because they are paid or act out of hatred, full of chauvinistic pride that fuels a collective hate of the other, that’s biblical as well. For little Mohammad he adapts, lives and tries to live. With what little he has, he can only breathe in the dirt while his hand and the roller blade pull him further along so that he may find shelter in a tent that in time could be targeted by the professional killers of the IDF. The weapons sent by those in the USA who will celebrate Christmas with their families, bonus included.
I am sure we will all hear ‘Merry Christmas’ and maybe ‘Peace be with you.’ How many mean it, how sincere any of it is. How much love and care really is inside the hearts of those who only love a loving God every holiday season. Their true God is the State or at least money. Whatever they worship we only ever see through deed, actions and inaction the true belief.
As one who would be tarred with the label, ‘atheist’ the sentimentality of the season is a mixture of nostalgic and off putting. It is a beautiful time and one of sadness but as I get older, a little wariness of the insincerity. Is it loving to hate a child like Mohammad so much? Is it noble to endorse those and the very entities that would contribute to children like him losing life and limb? How much eggnog can wash away the guilt if any actually exists?
It should not take the festive season to reflect and contemplate peace. It should not take this time of year to make amends or to promise to be better, to do better. It should not take the voice of Bing Crosby to remind you not to be abusive to your or any family, the fabricated sounds of the Wehrmacht at Stalingrad singing Silent Night to think of the lonely soldiers far from home or the voices of carolling children to think of those ravaged by war.
Merry Christmas and may the God of your belief help you find peace with yourself and your neighbour. Set the example, inspire, be the good you want to see. There has to be a better world than the status quo, it’s hard to imagine that any deity who resides in the hearts of so many good people would want their followers to keep worshipping the killers like they do. God speed and peace to you all.
