Monday, December 11, 2017 Chapter 16 Keep Herod in Christmas
One of the things I like about a religious writer is when they can take something quite complex and make it simple enough for me to understand. I thin McLaren does this in this chapter. On page 72 beginning with the last two paragraphs, he writes:
Herod--and Pharaoh before him-- model one way: violence...
The baby whom Herod seeks to kill will model another way. His tool will be service, not violence.
In many ways this is the simple message of Christmas. God invites us, through His son, to a new way of living. The "us" I talk about is not just "us Christians", not just "us as individuals" but the "collective us"--us as humankind.
Keeping Herod in Christmas is a reminder that we are made for more. And that this more will come only when we choose to service over violence.
I liked the sentences before the one quote above.
ReplyDelete...the world can't be simply divided between...us...and...them because like Herod, members of us will behave no differently from them, given the power and provocation.
I have experienced and seen how power affects the behavior of well meaning individuals. It is not an easy task to choose service over violence.
I will continue working to act with a servant mindset.