Prepare Ye the Way

[norma dollaga]

http://patentero.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/prepare-ye-the-way/ 

 

Prepare ye the way, make his path straight…”  Mark 1:3 More are values and  ways in life  that would help us straighten  the way of welcoming the message of Messiah in our midst. Someday at Christmas While we believe  that the season is an opportune time to  deeply reflect on the meaning of Christ’s birth, the holiday rush and the commercialization of Christmas become the primary fascination of the many.   Alas, the unbecoming of Christmas occur to every soul, when it is equated with money that  has  now greater  and powerful command in a consumerist society.  Mothers, fathers, the youth, girls and boys who are wanting in  material and financial resources  may find themselves as  lesser entities  or with an inferior esteem.  To some, Christmas celebration  of   hopping and organizing  parties from one  place to another  becomes a burden if not  an exhaustive activity that  will lead only to  emotional  stress.   The adults try to catch up with the  depth  and meaning of the season; some are successful  while others  are in   a quagmire of defeat because  what happened is exactly the opposite of their expectations.  In the church for example, we find it a joy to have exchange gifts—but we  set a price for each gift . We  do it  to solve the problem of inequality, but in actuality, we  send a message  of  unfairness.  It's too unfair to do it in the spirit of Christmas celebration.  At times, we give and give  and enjoy the wrapping ritual, but we expect to receive gifts  in return. Well, we may justify that it is being human at all to expect to receive. Somehow, this attitude can only lead us into a narrow appreciation of the historical meaning of Christ’s birth.  At the backdrop  of all these holiday rush, the pushing and shoving in department stores , the greetings  of  Merry Christmas  to one another is the reality that we live  in a world of distress and misery.  Could it be that the season is also a way where God is calling the faithful to retrieve  the meaning of Christ’s birth, re- appreciate  and  re-commit ourselves in partaking in his ministry unto a broken world? Poverty is still the reality that  mantles the majority of the people.   As of April this year, Ibon  Foundation reported that there are at least 4.1  million families who have gone hungry. Today, a family of six needs  at least PhP 1,010  for their daily living cost. . But the  actual minim wage is only PhP P4264. One would begin to wonder, how do the Filipino majority  poor are coping?  In so many communities,  people are  surviving by borrowing  money from loan sharks (5-6), or  are aware that they could not really afford to pay because of uncertainty of getting jobs. They would  instead settle for cheap instant noodles  or  escape meals – going to bed with empty stomachs. Deaths caused by hunger  and  disease is an assault  to humanity  as  the violence of poverty engulfs the majority of the people.  The deadly attack of extreme poverty and hopelessness is in itself a nightmare and a terror. Poverty is a hostile product of social injustice that pierces the poor, the marginalized and the most exploited. Come, natural disaster,we  could just weep and grieve with our fellow Filipinos who have been made vulnerable. This is not to spoil our Christmas by painting a picture  of a troubling reality.  If Jesus were born today, maybe  his family would not be able to afford the kind of celebration we are having now.  It is more likely that his  family would be one of those who are suffering from poverty.  Maybe his family would be among those queuing   for charitable  Christmas packages in our church . I still believe that  God would be wanting us to   be enjoying Christmas  in ways  we sincerely  do.  But   while we are  doing  what we have been traditionally doing before, maybe it is also good to  include  in our   Christmas journey  the  re-enactment  or the re-internalization of looking   for  the  star  of wisdom that will guide us through  until we find ourselves  celebrating the joy of witnessing the message of Christ  in our hearts. With one hope like this Christmas carol,  we can  re-fashion the way we  look forward to  Christmas in our lives. “Someday  at    Christmas”  by  Stevie Wonder Someday at Christmas men won't be boys, Playin' with bombs like kids play with toys One Warm December our hearts will see, A world where all*  are free Someday at Christmas there'll be no wars, When we have learned what Christmas is for. When we have found what life's really worth, There'll be peace on earth. Someday all our dreams will come to be, Someday in a world where all* are free. Maybe just in  time for you and me, But someday at Christmastime Someday at Christmas we'll see a land, With no hungry children, no empty hand One happy morning people will share, A world where people care Someday at Christmas there'll be no tears, Where all * are equal and no one* has fears , Merry Christmas To All!

for even in our dance
we see the gift of grace
no matter how dangerous 
and difficult each step we may take
we can rise 
for we know how to dance amidst struggle
                                - nô!/nong/norms/norma

 

for even in our dance
we see the gift of grace
no matter how dangerous
and difficult each step we may take
we can rise
for we know how to dance amidst struggle
                                - nô!/nong/norms/norma