On this article, I wish to discuss concerning the true motive for Christmas.
In fact, this means that there are false causes for Christmas, and I’m conscious that this declare may sound boastful. Who am I to dismiss different folks’s interpretation of this pageant?
The factor is that Christmas is, in essence, a Christian pageant. We’d overlook this or by no means take into consideration this, however Christmas means Christ mass: it’s a celebration of Christ.
Through the years, it has misplaced its holy connection and change into about consumption and gluttony. Greater than something, it’s a celebration of capitalism and mass manufacturing. If we’re trustworthy with ourselves, we should admit we do not know what we’re celebrating any extra. We “rejoice” out of behavior, and this makes me unhappy.
Christmas and all different non secular celebrations are inextricably tied to cultural evolution and the Zeitgeist. And simply as cultural evolution goes via phases of refinement, if you’ll, Christmas does too, and the present mutation (turkey, presents, alcohol and PS5s) is simply one other stage in that course of.
You may ask, then: past the momentary floor options of Christmas, what’s it actually all about?
My reply is not going to be a rendition of Biblical verses and a name for conversion. It will likely be based mostly on the nice truths that every one religious traditions in the end level to in their very own manner:
To search out that reply, we’ll do a short tour of two of the key, acquainted mutations of Christmas,.
Mythic and Rational Christmas
Earlier than studying on to find the true motive for Christmas, I like to recommend you take a look at my article on the Non secular Which means of Christmas, particularly the part on the Mythic and Rational phases of religion.
Remember the fact that Christmas means “celebration of Christ”, and also you’ll perceive how Mythic and Rational Christmas come about.
Briefly, in Mythic, pre-modern international locations and communities, Christ is the Christ as described within the Bible. He’s the son of God, was born to a virgin, walked on water, turned water into wine, fed the 5000, and so forth. The Mythic thoughts understands these to be true historic occasions, as is.
Thus, Christmas is a celebration of the beginning and lifetime of Christ, and of the whole Christian religion: it’s the supreme holy day, a celebration of the holy ebook and the holy, non secular household.
In Rational, trendy international locations, Christ is normally thought of to be a fantasy and nothing extra. Thus, at Christmas we’re not likely celebrating something. What’s there to rejoice if Christ isn’t actual? As such, it’s principally became an enormous get together, one other excuse for alcohol, and a glorification of capitalism and consumerism.
The True Motive for Christmas
The 2 “mutations” I’ve described are, in my view, lesser causes for celebrating Christmas.
The primary case relies on the assumption in myths and on insular non secular fervour, neither of which attraction to me. And the second case is even worse: the exploitation of a holy Christian pageant for capitalistic ends.
Nevertheless, there are some teams of people that realise that Christ, whether or not he existed traditionally or not, is a religious image. They join with the magical core on the coronary heart of all contemplative traditions, which the Bible repeatedly factors to via metaphors and symbols.
Thus, Christmas is a celebration of Christ the image, metaphor or archetype, quite than of the Mythic, miracle-working Christ. I’ve written about the symbology of the beginning of Christ elsewhere. Because of this Christmas is known as a religious pageant, a celebration of our innate Christ nature, of the Christ nature of every one.
For my part, that is the true motive for Christmas. I’m not denying folks’s causes for celebrating it. However once we get right down to it, once we get past the restricted legendary and rational views, that is actually what Christianity and Christmas are all about. That is progressive Christianity.
And the phases of human growth (whether or not you research these found by Ken Wilber, Susanne Cook dinner-Greuter, James Fowler, Jean Gebser or another analysis) counsel that ultimately that is what Christmas will change into: an all-inclusive, non-sectarian celebration of Beingness.
To actually join with this type of Christmas, one must have some stage of religious embodiment, a transpersonal consciousness, a direct apprehension of God.
Curiously, since each factor, each one and each motion is in the end an expression of God and Christ consciousness, Mythic and Rational Christmas are undoubtedly expressions of God. To fail to spot God in them is an indication of religious immaturity.
However there’s a large distinction between people expressing God unconsciously and doing so consciously. There’s a large distinction between sleeping Buddhas and waking Buddhas, because the Buddhists will inform you.
And there’s a large distinction within the ranges of consciousness of a humanity celebrating Christ via gluttony than via aware religious ritual and celebration.
When this increased expression of Christmas involves be, we’d proceed to eat like pigs whereas sporting our paper Christmas hats, however inside there can be a recognition of the true motive for Christmas: a celebration of who we actually are and what every thing actually is.
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