What Christmas means to me...

Ever since I accepted my own atheistic-agnosticism regarding God and religions, I've been deeply conflicted over how I should handle the Christmas Season.

Recently I was listening to a podcast of "The Thomas Jefferson Hour". I'm not going to get into what the podcast is about if it interests you go see for yourself. The creator and host of the show, Clay Jenkinson quoted an American living abroad who was asked what Christmas means to her she said:

“Christmas is for everybody because it’s about the possibility that God could come come into human life and inspire renewal. That’s what this story is about. It’s about God deliberately coming into our world and offering us a chance to start fresh.”

I was floored by the beauty, simplicity and the perfect wisdom of this view.

Then I thought, every year after the shortest day of the year (in the Northern hemisphere anyway) the days start to grow longer again, this spoke to the spirits of our ancestors. It conveyed the idea that if the sun could be reborn or renewed, so couldn’t man. When you look at it this way it’s perfectly understandable why the early Christian church decided to place the birth of Christ so close to this very symbolic celestial event.

The idea of renewal is a beautiful thing and it’s one I try to impart to my children.

We can all begin again every year if we choose!

So given the more transcendent idea of renewal does it really matter if God REALLY impregnated a virgin (Mary) who LITERALLY gave birth to a divine being (Jesus Christ)?

I think the metaphorical truth is much more important than the a literal truth.

Just an atheists view…

And I am not afraid to say it:

Merry Christmas to you ALL.

Robert

“And you ask me what i want this year

and i try to make this good and clear
just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days

cause i don’t need boxes wrapped in strings
and designer love and empty things,
just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days

so take these words
and sing out loud
cause everyone is forgiven now
cause tonight’s the night the world begins again

and its someplace simple where we could live
and something only you can give
and let’s faith and trust and peace while we’re alive

and the one poor child who saved this world
and there’s 10 million more who probably could
if we all just stopped and said a prayer for them

so take these words
and sing out loud
cause everyone is forgiven now
cause tonight’s the night the world begins again

i wish everyone was loved tonight
and somehow stop this endless fight
just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days

so take these words
and sing out loud
cause everyone is forgiven now
cause tonight’s the night the world begins again”

Goo Goo Dolls - “Better Days”