Christmas
By Tomás Núñez, ThD
Every time a child is born, it is a sign that God still believes in human beings.
It is Christmas time, but the aura is not Christmas but Good Friday. There are so many crises, terrorist attacks, and wars by bellicose and militaristic powers that destroy lives and cause horrific deaths of civilians and children; as the media frequently shows, we live in an atmosphere contaminated by resentment and a spirit of revenge in world politics, not to mention the astronomical levels of corruption: all this turns off the Christmas lights and darkens the pine trees that should create the atmosphere of joy and childlike innocence that still exists in every human person.
Anyone who sees the film Invisible Children, in seven different scenes, directed by renowned directors such as Spike Lee, Katia Lund, and John Woo, among others, can realize the destroyed lives of children in many parts of the world, condemned to live off the garbage and in the trash. Yet, there are touching scenes of camaraderie, small joys in sad eyes, and solidarity between them.
And to think that there are millions of them in the world today and that the baby Jesus himself, according to the Scriptures, was born in a manger for animals because there was no room for Mary, close to giving birth, in any inn in Bethlehem. He was mixed up with the fate of all these children mistreated by our lack of sensitivity.
Later, that same Jesus, already an adult, said: “Whoever welcomes these little brothers of mine welcomes me.” Christmas takes place when this welcome goes to the poor and helpless.
Amid all these misfortunes in the world, a piece of wood with a pyrographed inscription comes to mind that I once saw. It says: “When a child is born, it is a sign that God still believes in the human being.”
Can there be a more significant act of faith and hope than this? In some cultures in Africa, God is mainly present in those we call “mad.” That is why they are adopted and cared for by everyone as if they were a brother or sister. Thus, they integrate and live in peace. Our culture isolates them and does not recognize them.
This year’s Christmas reminds us of this offended humanity and of all the invisible children whose sufferings are like the baby Jesus, who certainly trembled in the manger in the winter of the fields of Bethlehem. According to an ancient legend, he was kept warm by the breath of two old horses who, in return, later acquired full vitality.
It is worth remembering the religious meaning of Christmas: God is not a bearded older man with piercing eyes nor a severe judge who judges all our actions. He is a child. As a child, He did not judge anyone. He only wants to live and be loved. From the manger comes this voice: “O human creature, do not fear God! Do you not see that his mother has wrapped his little arms around him? He does not threaten anyone. More than help, he needs to be helped and carried in arms.”
No one understood the human meaning and truth of the baby Jesus better than St. Francis of Assisi; that is why he made the first nativity scene.
Let us shout with Fernando Pessoa:
“He is the Eternal Child, the God who was missing. He is so human that he is natural. He is the Divine One who smiles and plays. That is why I know that he is the true Baby Jesus. He is a child so human that he is divine. We get along so well in the company of everyone that we never think of each other. When I die, my Child, let me be the Child, the smallest. Take me in your arms and take me to your house. Undress my tired and human being. Lay me down in bed. Tell me stories if I wake up to go back to sleep. And give me your dreams so that I can play until I am born any day that you know which one it is.”
Can we contain our emotions in the face of so much beauty? That is why, despite everything, we can still celebrate Christmas discreetly. I end with this other message that has meaning and that I love: “Every Child wants to be a man. Every man wants to be a king. Every king wants to be a ‘god.’ Only God wanted to be a child.”
Let us embrace one another as one embraces the Divine Child who is hidden within us and who has never abandoned us. And may Christmas still be a quietly happy holiday.
Merry Christmas.
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