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A Progressive Christmas/Holiday Message



I write here of peace in a progressive Christian context, so please consider this both a Christmas message and an inclusive holiday message. Whatever holidays you celebrate at this time of year, Happy Holidays to all.

Each Christmas one of my favorite passages is this one from the King James Bible, as the angels announce the birth of Jesus to the Shepherds, Luke 2:13-14:

"... suddenly there was... a multitude of the heavenly host... saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.'"

How can we find peace in a nation that has been so troubled? I present my wish list below in hopes of stimulating discussion about potential solutions. I think solutions will have to start by those with power listening to those with less. Thank God that we live in a country with freedom of speech and, as we have awakened to inequities, we are fighting back using our freedom to express our righteous indignation. We will not be silenced until we are heard. So for my wish list for a little more peace in our various wars, kindly follow me below. There's a reward at the end, a gorgeous Christmas video.

War on Minorities: Of course this is a war waged on many fronts. But obviously the most pressing problem on our minds lately has been police use of excessive force, most often against minorities. Police officers, I wish you would try harder to see things from our point of view, even if you disagree with our conclusions. In video after video, you beat, tase, choke and shoot person after person for, at most, minor infractions. Then a grand jury doesn't indict on anything, even reckless endangerment, and the excuses offered sound nonsensical. When you then say, "Well, the grand jury didn't indict, so it's OK"; or "Our actions were found to be justified," these words do not reassure us. Why aren't you more like the Richmond, CA, deputy chief (Police Stand with Protestors) who said, "This is an opportunity for all police departments, including ours, to look inward and examine our approaches and get better"?

I wish you would reconsider your training regimens. You seem to have lost all sense of proportion. Jaywalking or selling loosies or waving around a toy gun should not result in a death sentence. It takes time for a citizen to realize what you want them to do and respond appropriately, more so if the person is mentally ill or has other illnesses that can affect behavior. If you have rendered someone physically incapable of posing a threat, stop kneeling on their backs and stop shooting. Treat their wounds. Let them breathe. Remember the Beatitudes (King James Bible, Matthew 9-11):

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.... Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

Show a little mercy and walk among your fellow citizens in peace. Of course there will be times that you will need to be tough. But as professionals, you can do a lot to de-escalate many tense situations.

Finally, I wish that you would take more personal responsibility for yourselves. Why would you wait to be forced to resign or be fired? If you don't have the temperament for the job, admit it, it's no shame to say so. I don't have the temperament for the job, I wouldn't want to be in a job where so many of my encounters with the public are unpleasant. So if you have the patience and humor to defuse situations and do the job well, terrific, we need you; I hope you have a successful law enforcement career. If you are impulsive, scared of your fellow citizens, or ill-tempered, develop some self awareness and go do something else for a living. Limit your contact with the public, just like I have.

War on Women: This war is waged on many fronts, as well. But a recent problem that I think can be handled fairly easily, because it has been way overblown by the conservative news media, has been the perceived incidence of "false accusations" of rape on college campuses. Guys, I wish all media would report the real story, but apparently the conservative media prefer fear mongering. So here it is: For the most part you do not have to worry about being falsely accused of crimes. Yes, about 25% of college women report having been raped. But about 4% of college men have been accused of rape, most of these being repeaters with an average of 6 victims apiece (Colleges Mishandling Rape). So there isn't some big war on men, with widespread misunderstanding of what constitutes consent. About 96% of you understand perfectly fine. Male or female, you know where the line is. If you are a college student, watch out for the 4%, speak up if you see something happening that shouldn't be; and realize that if someone is passing out then that's a medical emergency, so call 911.

War on the Poor: Some churches preach a "prosperity gospel" that somehow if you just believe fervently enough, then you will be rich. The flip side, of course, is that there is something wrong with being poor. Yet Jesus said (King James Version, Matthew 19:24):

"...it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

Jesus also said (KJV, Matthew 25:34-40):

"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Jesus preached repeatedly in a similar vein. Clearly we are meant to help the poor, not vilify them. Yet within the last few decades, many have been trying to blame poverty on the poor. If only they had learned skills, they could have bettered themselves. But there are minimum-wage jobs that don't require a college education to be performed well, and there are college-requiring jobs that don't pay much better than minimum wage. Don't all fulltime workers have the right to make a decent wage to support their families? Shouldn't anyone who really believes in family values believe in a living wage? Employers, I wish you would give your least-paid employees respect and a living wage. They're usually your front-line workers who interact with your customers, and thus are responsible for the success of your business. Stop pretending you're better than your employees because you make more money. You're actually good people only when you share the wealth.

War on non-Christians and other Christians: The Bible can be interpreted in many different ways. Conservatives, if you are not putting people to death for a variety of sins, then you obviously do not believe in a literal interpretation of every word in the Bible, so I wish you would stop claiming this obvious untruth. Allow for differences in interpretation.

In addition, the Bible is not the only book in the world considered to be holy. Most people will be the religion they are born into. Others will see things that are wrong with religion, such as the hatred some leaders insist is required by the holy books, and will reject all religion. They are not waging war on religion, just not accepting it personally. So what? In the King James Bible, Luke 9:50:

"Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us."

If some people reach for high ideals but don't see a need to personify that as God, leave them alone. Better yet, I wish you would embrace your fellow humans in all the diversity that God has created. Whoever is not against us is for us.

***

I love the carol below, based on the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, because it doesn't pretend everything is fine. Yet despite discouragement, we still feel the message of peace in the pealing of the bells. I embedded the version below because the signing team turns it into a gorgeous dance. I include the pertinent verses of Longfellow's poem below the video for those who prefer to read them. Enjoy, with hope for some peace in 2015.

A sampling of Happy Holidays from around the world: Felices Fiestas. Joyeuses Fetes. Frohe Feiertage. Furaha Likizo. Hanh Phuc Ngay Le. Mutlu Bayramlar. Selamat Hari Raya. Hau'oli Lanui.

Where would you like to see more peace on Earth? Please email suggestions to me atelenaatelenacarlenadotcom, and I'll add them in a comments section below. If anyone wants to email me with information on how to inexpensively create an online chat room, I'd appreciate that information also. Thank you and Happy Holidays, including Christmas!



I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on Earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th'unbroken song
Of peace on Earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on Earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on Earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on Earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing, singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on Earth, good will to men!

Also published at Daily Kos.



© Copyright Elena Carlena December 20, 2014. Last updated December 26, 2014. All rights reserved.