On this night

2000 or so years ago, this night. Nothing happened.

Seriously. Nothing.

Jesus, known as Yeshua in Hebrew, and Isa in the Islamic faith, was not born in December. Shepherds would not keep sheep outside at night in the wintertime. They would freeze to death. It is more likely that he was born in Spring or summer. The Islamic tradition has him born around July or August.

This gets me in trouble with Christians. Especially at the school where I teach. The church that I attend isn't to keen on my ideas either. Nor are the conservatives in my family.

I am less concerned about celebrating his birth than I am with practicing his teachings and following his examples.

I was hungry, you fed me.

I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink.

I was naked you clothed me.

I was lonely and in prison, you visited me.

I was sick and you comforted me.

See Matthew 25 and other assorted parts of the gospels.

These lessons seem lost in a country that…..

-throws away enough food every day to feed the rest of the world and patents genes so that farmers can not grow the crops that they have grown for centuries

-contaminated water with chemicals (fracking) and works to privatize water supplies so that corporations can register a profit

-is the leading destination for human trafficking of women and children for the sex trade and slave labor

-has the highest percentage of its population in prison and the highest recidivism rate of any country in the world. It has also executed more innocent people (What was that? Do not murder?)

-has the world's most expensive health care system and doles out health care dependent upon people's wealth

And claims that it is a Christian nation.

Seriously?

Blessed are the peacemakers.

We named a nuclear armed missile the “Peacemaker.”

It was more about fear, I think.

American drones have blown how many innocent people into pieces?

Some one in leadership somewhere needs to check their spelling.

Jesus/Yeshua/Isa hung around with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other assorted sinners.

His twelve closest friends were fishermen (who are well known for their profanity), a tax collector, an anti-Roman militant, and who knows what else. All uneducated, every day peasants. Not someone that you would expect to change the world.

If he were walking around today, I see him hanging around with truckers, hookers, the homeless, prostitutes, homosexuals, drug pushers, and all the other “undesirables” of society.  OK - Fishermen too.

Somehow I don't think that the America we have today and the practices of Christians today are what he had in mind.

I'm reading through both the Jewish and Christian Testaments (Old & New) and I am surprised by the amount of times that the prophets of old railed against the wealthy and their behavior. The Torah has plenty to say about taking care of the poor and other social justice issues. (Remission of debt among other things.) The fall of Jerusalem (end of 2 Kings) is directly correlated to the Jews releasing their slaves and the poor and then seizing them back again, (Read Jeremiah.) Nehemiah blasts the Jews that returned from the exile because their behaviors were similar to the pre exile period. Even Daniel advises Nebuchadnezzar to take care of the poor after he is returned to power after his fall into insanity.

People ask me how can I go to church and be a socialist.

I ask them if they have read their Bible cover to cover? Most never have. The few that have I answer “How can I not be?” The Bible is loaded with teachings on social justice and responsibility.

And my freedom of religion is dependent upon other peoples' freedom to worship, or not, as they choose.  Check the First Amendment Donald Trump and everyone that follows him.

There are Christian organizations that do practice what Jesus/Yeshua/Isa taught. American Friends Service Committe comes to mind. Matthew 25 (I know of them from their work in Haiti). Inter-Faith Justice Coalition (I have to get this name correct). And others. I applaud them.

I had a friend say that if you “can't have a hot cocoa with a homo, you need to check your faith.” (He used to say something more profane that offended the religious and the LGBTQ communities simultaneously, I will not repeat it. Thankfully he took the hint and changed it. Still needs some work, but it's far better than what it was.)

But that is what religion is supposed to be about – treating others as you want to be treated.

It's about human dignity, respect, and friendship.

Nothing more.

If we can't practice that, are we really human?

As my associate from above asked me one time “Is the human race worth running?”

We'd better do more than think about it.

Our survival depends upon it.