Katrina, Christmas, and a crisis of faith

[intheflow]

I've been having a very hard time with Christmas this year. I dont' feel like decking the halls, I don't feel like having a holly, jolly Christmas. I don't want any gifts for myself or to shop for gifts for others, I want people to donate to hurricane relief efforts, that's where I'm shopping. This is beyond "Bah, humbug!" It's really a lot more like depression that so many are suffering so much in our own backyards, and 85% of the country seems to be in denial about it. :cry:

WWJD? Not spend his time on lavish birthday parties for himself, I'm sure. So where exactly is God this holiday season? I'm not seeing a lot of God's positive movement in the world right now.


*On edit: I'm not a Christian, and have also posted this in the Seekers on Unique Paths Group. But I do consider myself a cultural Christian, meaning I was raised largely unchurched but my family participated in rather secularized celebrations of Christian holidays. The only Christian holiday that has ever moved me is Christmas, celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace, the very best that Christians have to offer the world, the light in the darkness that Jesus' love represents, etc. So I wanted to hear what my Christian brothers and sisters have to say on the matter.

[RevCheesehead]

1. You have a beautiful heart.

I believe God looks on matters of the heart, not on our so-called declared religion of choice.

Bless you for your generous and kind spirit. I hope your holidays bring all that you hope for: an outpouring of love for the Katrina survivors, and all others who are in need.

:hug: O8)

[intheflow]

2. Thanks, Rev.

Yours was one of the gentle voices I hoped to hear from in this thread. I talked with my mom this morning, and instead of buying me a gift, she's going to donate to my favorite gulf coast fund and knit me a new scarf. It's beginning to feel more like the reason for the season already. :hug:

[StoryTeller]

3. This post makes my heart ache for you...

I understand how you feel--I, too, have been having a difficult time being "jolly" with all the darkness I see in the world right now. Our pastor's sermon was on this very thing this morning, and it was refreshing to me to hear it. He reminded us that Jesus is referred to as the "light of the world." Light is necessary for life, and it lifts our spirits, and can bring healing as well. Darkness is no match for light. Light exposes the things that want to stay hidden, and it illuminates and helps us see things we didn't see before. All this is what Christmas, the birth of Jesus, means for those of us who are Christians. To me, that brings me hope because even though the light may seem dim at times, even the smallest light can overcome darkness.

From my Christian viewpoint, I see the light of Jesus shining into many dark places--in every act of kindness, in every expression of genuine love, in every effort of peace. I know that when we look around us and see all the horrible, dark things happening, and even sense the darkness inside of us, it's easy to lose hope. But the most treasured part of being a follower of Jesus is, for me, the deep sense of peace inside of me. I *know* in the core of my being that God is ultimately in control--even when things look bleak, even when I don't understand the suffering and bad things I see or experience. And more than just being in control, I *know* He loves each one of us. We only see part of the story, but He sees everything and has the "big picture" as well as the smallest details. That knowledge gives me a centered feeling, an assurance that nothing is as senseless as it seems, that there is a bigger purpose for it all. This leads me to hope, even when it seems hopeless. That's what I mean by "peace." It's a different sort of peace than simply the absence of conflict.

So WWJD this season? Well, I think he would do what he always did--he would see past the masks and walls people build around themselves, and see their hearts and what their real needs were, and then he would meet them at the point of that need. Those who needed healing (physical, emotional, relational, spiritual) would receive it. Those who needed to know they were forgiven would receive forgiveness. Those who needed to hear words of truth in love would be given those words. The helpless and the victimized would be defended and rescued. He would serve those around him in humility and selflessness. He would show love and acceptance to each person, no matter how they treated him in return.

That's a pretty hard act to follow, if you ask me. If I tried to do all that myself, I'd get depressed for sure, because I'd be such an abject failure. But that's why I'm a follower of Jesus--because I could never be all that in my own strength.

As far as your question of "where is God?" It might sound a bit radical to suggest this, but I think you should ask HIM. You certainly would not be the first person in history to ask this question, and I have every confidence that He will be glad to show you where He is and answer that question in a far more personal and satisfying way than I or anyone else could.

So please, be encouraged this Christmas season. Just by you asking these questions, God's light is already shining. Do you know how pleased He is that you want to help those hurt by the hurricane? You are being His hands and heart to bring light and peace into the lives of other people. He is working...through people like you.

Peace to you, God's precious child. :)

[intheflow]

4. I had a Jewish professor in seminary.

She taught a class on Christianity and the Holocaust that I took. One of the things she told us in that class was that rabbis have been struggling with where God was during the Holocaust. One answer that's been proposed is that the way God works in the human world is in the interactions between people. Because interaction between Jews and Germans (and Christians, in general) were so very limited leading up to the Holocaust, God was not able to be present for either side. It's an intersting idea that I've been pondering ever since.

But using this premise, that God exists in the caring relationships between people, then I found God this season in your reply to me. I like the idea that God's light shines in the very act of questioning. This is a very useful image for me to meditate on. Thank you, Story Teller. :hug:

[StoryTeller]

7. You are quite welcome.

I think your professor's insight into the significance of relationships between people is very profound. The God that both Jews and Christians acknowledge is characterized by an emphasis on relationships. In fact, the Christian belief of God being a "trinity" (that's the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) that is three-yet-one, in a mystery we can't fully comprehend, is a picture of the ultimate relationship--loving, sacrificial, egalitarian, totally unified. And then we have the image of this perfectly relational God created humans so that they can share in this relationship. This God is intensely personal, even while sustaining the entire universe.

So, yeah, I totally think God speaks to us through our relationships and interactions with other people. And the amazing thing to me is that God would want to speak to us at all. I mean, just think...out of all the universe, He hears you and cares about you enough to speak to you. Not because you went out and had to do something hugely important to win a hearing from Him, but just because He values you for who you are. That just gives me chills and warm fuzzies all at once.

:hug:

[KitchenWitch]

5. Right now, money is tight in the Witch household

but after the new year, I intend to donate monetarily to hurricane relief. I am saddened by the conditions the survivors face on a daily basis.

[Maat]

6. Hi, Intheflow!

I appreciate your unselfish thinking.

I don't feel like celebrating much either.

Hang in there!

Healing and comforting energy headed your way!

[intheflow]

8. Healing and comforting energy back atcha, Maat!

Thanks for the good thoughts, Friend! :hug:

[Maat]

9. Thanks for the good energy! Take care! (n/t)

[lady raven]

10. Christian or not, you are obviously a caring and moral person

And more people should be thinking that way.

I don't feel very much in the spirit myself, aside from just being grateful for the birth of Jesus. This has been a horrible year for me personally, my country, my brothers and sisters on the Gulf coast and in Asia, our military members whose lives are being wasted, etc.

I don't feel very celebratory either.

I like the idea of donating to charity (time and/ or money) instead.

That's more in the spirit of Christmas than busing our credit limits and drinking tons of egg nog anyway.