Orthodox Christmas Worship ServiceToday is January 7th, Christmas Day for many Christians. The twelve days of the Christmas season are over, and the day of Epiphany when we turn our thoughts to the Magi or Wise Ones who travelled from the east to pay homage to the young Jesus came and went yesterday.
You might be thinking that this alternate Christmas isn't a big deal, but there are hundreds of millions of Orthodox Christians around the world who celebrated Jesus' birth either yesterday or today. In countries such as Belarus, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Russia, and the Ukraine today is a national holiday.
For me this is a reminder that no tradition has a "lock" on the way we approach our faith. The simplicity of that wondrous, tranforming birth roughly two thousand years ago has somehow led us to theological pouting sessions, suspicions and stereotypes, even violence and wars. How do we get it so wrong at times?
I figure that the best way to avoid the nonsense is to listen and to learn. Do I always have to agree with brothers and sisters in Christ? Nope, and there are times when I am in fundamental disagreement. I always hope that despite differences there can be some basis for respect and humility.
Thoughts?
3 comments:
Your approach would seem to be the right one, David. Glad that you shared it with us, and I hope it spreads!
That must be how Santa can deliver gifs to all the children in the world. He has more than one night to do it!
Does it actually say in the Bible that Jeasus was born on Dec. 25th? No.
Here is what I Googled on the subject.
The DePascha Computus, an anonymous document believed to have been written in North Africa around 243 CE, placed Jesus birth on March 28. Clement, a bishop of Alexandria (d. ca. 215 CE), thought Jesus was born on November 18. Based on historical records, Fitzmyer guesses that Jesus birth occurred on September 11, 3 BCE.
The details are less important than believing and having faith.
God bless.
Thanks to both of you. Very scholarly sjd, although we may need to have a chat about Santa.
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