Universal human condition (B):
Life is both a gift and a burden.
The extent to which this plays out is complex both on a macro and micro level. For many this Christmas the sense of whether life is a gift or burden, and whether their belonging is a gift or a burden may depend on many things.
- THE LENS OF FAMILY AND OPPORTUNITY: For some this is the first family get together since covid. Christmas seems a gift opportunity taken away in recent years.
- THE LENS OF FAMILY GRIEF, DEATH AND SEPARATION: For others it is the first Christmas with the grief of losing a loved one. (Christmas and the attachment to family is a burden).
- THE LENS OF FAMILY ECONOMICS: Some will see this Christmas as an opportunity to live and spend to excess to make life feel more of a gift, and for some the financial situation will be a constant burden of cut backs and delayed credit charges.
- In honour based and matriarchal centred societies, there is a common theme of togetherness. Family comes first. This has been symbolised in a number of "alternative adverts" this Christmas, including Sam Teale's which has had great publicity on BBC. Another would be the McDonald's ad in which the kid has a long list of wishes, but really his chief wish is to be with his family.
- This might bring a glow to us as we watch. We might envy this simplicity in our culture of many commercial trappings and overspend. We may long to come back to the essentials of life and away from the commercialism.
- Scrape the veneer however and we see that all is not as essential, human or real as it seems. Macdonalds (the Billion dollar corporate) wants us only to be together as a family this Christmas, as long as that takes us for a double cheeseburger, fries and shake.
- Sam Teal explains in this video... that the young boy (with his endearing good looks) is from an acting centre who does child modelling, and everything has been staged for curb appeal. Maybe everything is not as authentic as it seems, and another fundamental driver is in play ... dare we say the possibility / dream / idol of stardom may be in play?
- The phenomenon of celebrating the humble sausage roll went viral in 2018 - as Mark Ian Hoyle self promoted this expression of the simplicity of family life which went to NO 1 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 (with "We Built This City", "I Love Sausage Rolls", "Don't Stop Me Eatin'" and "Sausage Rolls for Everyone" respectively). Did he "really do it for his missus"? Or his lad image a bit more about himself and what he wants ? Does he object to his 4.9 million followers, (who earn him a living). Maybe his "life hacks" save you a few quid, and great if they do... but really when he says "yes mate" you probably should remember that you have never met him and never will. Even if you he saves you a quid, he has earned himself a fair few more with his Web worth (conservatively) around £1.400,000 in assets. What is authentic here ? Is the real relationship, real family and real normality as we all earn a living from millions of subscribers? Or are we living a dream through him ?
In blunt terms, nothing is as simple or as essential as it seems here. Whilst we may hanker after the mirage of such simplicity, we need to remember the human realities and Biblical perspectives. The world has yes simply gone wrong in relationships by rejecting the God who is the founder of all relationships. We need to remember that the heart is deceitful above all things and even the simplest of idols still has a complexity of sin in our self image behind it.
We also need to consider these simple and complex issues as we engage with folks this Christmas. As we share the great and awesome truth of Christ, it is both beautifully fundamental to life (simple) and yet has so many ramifications (complex). There is something to commend in what people hanker after, true relationship... but it is not found in Youtube. Even in our most basic state of humanity there is a false anthropology for which we live. Even if we worship the family there is a burden which can be crushing. Any person we put our hope in, expect to deliver perfect joy this Christmas whether a partner, husband, wife, child, grandchild or friends will disappoint. Asking the one you love and adore to always supply your joy will destroy them and your relationship with them. Christmas will not be happy or eternal joy if this is your attitude and desire. It is too much to expect a human being to be a divine one who answers all our wishes and prayers. I'm reminded of the lyrics of Beverley Craven's Christmas song " A Christmas wish".
When we build any part of our lives with any false expectations, to serve a master thought or desire, we discover the disappointment, behind any beauty of our own making. What seems like a gift to us can be a burden to others. When we sing such a song to someone, I wonder if it would make them feel anything but fear of failure or being spooked by giant expectations. When we live for materialism. the extended office hours of January and February to pay credit card bills reveal the emptiness and depression of living for something that will never last (the split moment of a purchase thrill).
I've heard of the family who wait an extra 3 hours for Christmas dinner, because the chef (who sees their gift to the world as being a foodie) will not allow the plating up until it is perfect. In previous years this has resulted in the binning of many plates before they reach the table, simply because it was not the ideal or dream meal the chef had envisaged. it didn't look like Mary Berry's or Jamie Oliver's or Heston's. The chef is also a wife, mother and grandmother. The chef has forgotten the one's who want her love and presence more than her grub. The chef has forgotten than just yards away there are homeless friends happy and grateful for a Christmas Day bowl of warmed in the microwave Heinz soup. The point is that whenever we design our own system for living (dream) it becomes a burden to others, however good it looks to us. The plate may be perfect but the relationship will be damaged.
Without getting too deep and depressing, we can think of Hitler, or Stalin, Putin or Mao. Each thought their system was "good" in their own eyes, but each yielded a burden for millions.
When Christ comes, we remember that he came both as gift wrapped in underserved simplicity, in beauty of essential life of a human cell. Yet there is mind boggling complexity as the Lord of the Universe leaves all glory to deal with every burden, mess and failure of the human condition.
Concurrent with understanding the incarnation then is the acceptance that we live with false idolatry, a love for our creation, a love of our life, which tries to defy God's order, by ignoring him in life and trying to order creation and life without him. Romans 1 reminds us that our approach to life as if we are the only authors will never succeed. Ultimately natural laws of the buoyancy of who God is, as creator and sustainer will reemerge as consequences of our own imagined wisdom disappoint and direct us back to the fact that there must be something or someone greater as the foundation and reason for life.
In his incarnation, Christ is the gift of God to a desperate world, the express image and being of God, the ultimate statement and reminder of true authentic life.
- John 1:4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
- John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- John 15:1 In him is life, without him we cannot enter into spiritual life.
- John 10:10 He says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full"
He is also the ultimate burden bearer, he comes to die, to take the burden of sin and death. He takes it all, and carries it all to the cross. He is the one who achieves all that has been planned, delivers on all promises and succeeds in reconnecting man with God and God with man in a way that cannot be done any other way, Anthropology based on Christ works. All are united in him, in our human condition, our redemption, our unity and purpose. Regardless of cultural background, understanding of humanity and our perceived role in it, we discover that there is so much more, true liberty, freedom, joy, ultimate purpose in Christ. He is the human who delivers what is divinely promised, divinely achieved , and divinely perfect.
So how should we be as Christians this Christmas? Should we be consumed by burden or totally carefree?
The answer is a little complex. Should we expect life to always be simple , especially when the LORD and creator of all life is way beyond our understanding ? Should not the complexity and wonder (as well as the mind boggling simplicity) of the incarnation in a stable also fill us with humility to want more of the incarnate Lord in our lives, not make us think we have a complete handle on life, but kindle a deep fire burning for his presence in every part of the fallen world in which we humbly inhabit ?
Then there is the application of the incarnation in a fallen world where God has placed us this Christmas with many who do not see the glory of Christ. We live in the now and not yet of redemption, and rub shoulders with loved ones and connected ones who have not time or thought for Christ in Christmas. Lives are spent and overspent on anything but Christ. In this context we are called then to leave the comfort and confines of the redeemed, the safe Holy place, and travel on the rescue mission of all missions, as we follow in his path before the heavenly hosts, and suffer for those who don't yet see this Glorious GOD and his eternal, profoundly measureless, intensely extensive love upon us in Christ.
Overriding everything this Christmas then, should be a sense of privilege for all who have come to know Christ. What awaits those of us who live by his grace, and faith, has not been comprehended by any human being. Concurrent with these senses of privilege however, should always be the sense of responsibility. By his grace our eyes have been opened, we have seen the glory of the one and only, so with our joy there is always the appropriate burden of those who don't yet know him. This is never meant to be any sense of "bah humbug!" towards the glory of what he has done for us, but it does remind us also that one of the greatest joys in our lives, and ever afforded to humanity is to share his glory with others.
Praying you have great joy, great contentment in Him, and great opportunities with family and friends this Christmas.
P
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