Tag Archives: Christmas

Christmas: A History

Greetings Blessed Community, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you!

My name is Dave Miller, and I’m the director of Sacred Breeze Ministries. When the website is working, Sacred Breeze Ministries can be found at SacredBreeze.org, or on Facebook.

I’m sharing a short message today that is not strictly traditional in the Christian sense, but it is based on the history of the times in which Jesus of Nazareth was born. This message doesn’t go into the miraculous occurrences like the Virgin Birth recorded in Christian Scripture, but I believe it is in keeping with the Christmas Spirit of Hope, Peace, and Love nonetheless. Since this message is based on history as reported by Roman historians of the times and others, I think this it can be well received by people of any faith, including Christians, as well as people of no faith. I will warn that the history of the times in which Jesus was born were somewhat brutal. The brutality will be mentioned, but not portrayed graphically in any way. Anyway, have a little faith and allow me to be your guide for the next 20 minutes or so.

The Christian holiday known as Christmas is centered on a person named Jesus, who is believed to have lived over 2000 years ago in what is now modern-day Israel. Jesus was a common name back then, based on the name Joshua, who a Jewish prophet who lived over 1200 years before Jesus.

A lot has been written about the historical reality of the person Jesus. Some scholars deny his existence, but I think most acknowledge the likelihood that he did exist, even if they doubt the miraculous occurrences surrounding his life.

Christmas, of course, acknowledges the birth of the person known as Jesus of Nazareth, and in so doing also acknowledges the existence of his mother, who was named Mary. Historians would probably agree that if Jesus existed, his mother existed also. On a side note, for those who are aware of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions regarding the creation of humanity, isn’t it interesting how those narratives insists that women were somehow derived from men? I was just reading from the Hindu Upanishads and saw a similar narrative saying that women were sourced from men. In a way, Christmas affirms the fact that men, even men who are described as having Divine attributes, are born from women.

But anyway, back to the main story, the biblical narrative of Jesus’ birth includes several events that were also independently recorded by Roman historians during that time period. These other historical events include the reign of Augustus Caesar in Rome, the death of Herod the Great, and a census imposed on the Judean region by the Roman governor Quirinius. While Christian scripture describes the census as happening first followed by the death of Herod, Roman historians said that Herod died 4 years before the beginning of the Common Era and the census occurred 6 years after the beginning of the Common Era. This puts a 10 year question mark on the historical date and circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus.

Another event that has been reported by Roman historians was a revolt in protest to the census led by a man named Judas of Galilee. This revolt was also mentioned by Luke in the Christian Bible in Acts 5:37. After overcoming the revolt with overwhelming force, the occupying Roman forces crucified some 2000 people who participated in the revolt.

A revolt that was put down violently followed by a mass crucifixion killing thousands of people would have been big news in a small region like Galilee. Based on town sizes and population distributions of the time, some estimates placed the population of the region well under 200,000. The deaths of perhaps 2 percent of the entire population, or perhaps 4 percent of the males in the population would have been felt heavily by the region. And the deaths would have been felt heavily by the families that lost brothers, husbands, and fathers. Jesus may have been 10 years old during the revolt, which may explain why it was not recorded in the birth narrative of Jesus.

A mystery that is often discussed based on the birth narrative is, what happened to Joseph the husband of Jesus’s mother Mary? After the birth narrative, he seems to disappear. Some have speculated that Joseph lost his life during the rebellion, either to the battle or the mass crucifixion. Given the size of the region, which is about the same size as San Jose California, and the population, it is definitely possible that the husband of Jesus’s mother participated in and died as part of that rebellion. It is also possible that Jesus’ friends from the region may have lost fathers to the rebellion and mass Crucifixion as well. His friends James and John were also known as the “Sons of Thunder.” It is possible that “Thunder” was a covert name their father used while participating in the rebellion.

What do towns and regions and people and families do with that kind of trauma? For some, including the children of Judas of Galilee and others, the traumatic memory inspires and provoked more rebellion, and more violence. The Roman historian Josephus said in Antiquities 20 Chapter 5 that about 40 years later, Judas’s sons James and Simon were captured and crucified for continuing violence and rebellion. And some 70 years after the birth of Jesus, the Romans completely destroyed Jerusalem and killed all her inhabitants.

While some used the trauma to fuel ongoing violence, what about a young mother and child who suffered such traumatic loss? A mother’s instinct would be to love and protect that child from such a trauma recurring. Remember the reaction that mothers in particular had to the Vietnam war? Moms who lost children and husbands recognized the futility of war, and stood up for peace and an ending of hostilities. It may well be that Jesus’s mother also recognized the futility of violence and conflict and decided that love would be a better and safer course for the life of her young child. It is possible that Jesus’s mother taught him that love is the right path to follow, rather than violence.

Growing up, Jesus’s education would have included stories of empires rising up and conquering each other. These empires included the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Macedonians under Alexander the Great, and finally the Romans. The history he learned would have included his own people portrayed as conquerors, taking the land from the resident Canaanites of the region.

He would have also learned that every conquest resulted in death, misery, slavery, and displacement. By the time the Romans came around, the history of conquest and suffering was ingrained in the minds and hearts of the Jewish people.

While many of the conquering cultures had disappeared, Jesus’s own Jewish culture and faith remained steadfast through all the suffering and death and displacement. He would have learned that the loving kindness that the God of the Jewish people had for them, and the love that they had for each other, held them together through the worst of traumatic times. He also would have learned that the earliest stories from his tradition said that his own Jewish heritage was meant to be a blessing to all nations, inspiring peace and love among all people.

With the urging and teaching of his mother, and the lessons of his education and faith, it is possible that Jesus was raised to recognize both the futility of violence, and the power of love. It is possible that the teachings shared during his life regarding love of neighbors, strangers, and enemies alike were inspired by the events of his birth, the love and teachings of his mother, and his history and heritage.

Historically, great messengers don’t just rise up out of nowhere and nothing. Great messengers become great because they give voice to sentiments that many people carry in their hearts. Expressed theologically, God inspires great messengers to give voice to the suffering of people. The time in which Jesus lived wasn’t the only time when people were faced with mass killings, oppression, and violence.

I mentioned the mothers during the Vietnam era who rose up and said “enough,” not only to the war but also to the oppression of women and LGBTQ people. Consider also the voice of Martin Luther King Jr. whose voice said “enough” to not only war, but also to oppression and violence against people of color. Just as Gandhi’s voice in India and Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela’s voices in South Africa said enough as well. And just as the Dalai Lama’s voice continues to say “Enough” as the people and culture of Tibet suffer under decades of oppression and exile. All these voices say enough is enough, and rather than meeting violence and hatred with more of the same, choose the path of love.

Prophetic voices do not rise up in isolation, they give voice to the suffering of thousands and millions, they represent the voices of mothers and parents and people of all ages and races and cultures and sexual orientations as well.

Many of us often experience similar feelings today as well, in response to mass shootings, in response to never ending wars, in response to justice systems that do not treat all citizens equally, and in response to voices that lift up division and blame rather than peace and love. Enough is enough.

Jesus gave voice to a similar sentiment in Galilee. Enough is enough. Let the voice of love be heard. Let peace reign. Let the love a mother has for her children represent the voice of God, rather than a voice of fear, anger, and violence.

The stories of miracles that surround Jesus’s birth, life, death, and resurrection are often used to claim the Divinity of Jesus, and the truth and power of Jesus’s teachings. This Christmas message is not meant to dispute or argue any of the claims, narratives, stories, or miracles described in Jesus’s life. This Christmas message simply suggests that the special revelation Jesus brings the world with his birth, the message of hope and love and peace, also carries the strength of experience, of history, and of the love his mother nurtured, taught, and shared with him.

This Christmas season, let us embrace faith from the perspective that Jesus was born with, lived and taught, and died for – the perspective of love.

May the message of Christmas be preserved and always remain the same. May the lessons of experience, history and the love a mother holds for her children always be a guiding light.

Peace on earth and good will toward all.

Hope in a Weary World

I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. And this year it’s not about the bustle of the Holidays and Christmas shopping, if anything those activities were a welcome distraction.

After a year of extreme politics and further division within the USA, rising deficit and threats against health insurance, I for one am just tired.

As I look back to the events that have led to where we are, I remember the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. I remember videos of terrorist attrocities in the Middle East. I remember US cabinet members laughing and clapping when a Middle Eastern leader was killed, and most of all I remember angry people arguing politics, myself among them.

It occurred to me that we are a Nation and a World that is constantly dealing with both primary and secondary traumatic stress. And we are dealing with these stresses not only as individuals, but as communities, as nations, and as a world community of human beings.

There is a phrase from old Western movies that applies to how communities deal with traumatic stress: “circling the wagons.” We form groups of like minded people with the intent of protecting ourselves and our families.

Both ancient and modern history are filled with examples of communities experiencing extreme stress and trauma, pulling together, rallying around a common identity, be it ethnic or religious or nationalistic, becoming powerful, and in turn becoming the source of stress and trauma towards neighboring communities. Eventually, someone stronger always comes along and the cycle begins again. Trauma, circle the wagons, gain power, cause trauma, and then experience oppression and trauma all over again.

At Christmas time, the world celebrates the birth of a man called Jesus. I say the world because at this point in human history, with few exceptions, everyone is pretty much aware of everything, including the origins of the Christian religion and culture. I say the man Jesus because the humanity of Jesus is something we all have in common. Jewish people may view Jesus as a historical Rabbi, Buddhists and Hindus may view Jesus as an Enlightened Being, Muslims may view Jesus as a revered Prophet, and Christians view Jesus as both Human and Divine.

Enlightened, Prophet, Human, Divine, Personal Savior, or anointed Christ, however we view Jesus, the words and teachings attributed to this person are what is left for us in the 21^st century to read, share, interpret, and draw inspiration from.

2000 years ago, Jesus’ words and teachings inspired a group of people, human beings, to become followers. These human followers of Jesus the Christ also experienced extreme trauma, at the hands of a government, specifically the Roman government who had power at the time. And like human communities have done since the beginning of time, the followers of Jesus the Christ reacted by circling the wagons. They focusing on mutual care of each other, they comforted families who lost loved ones to the Roman Government’s systematic oppression, they cared for each other, and they talked about ways to deal with the stress of living in the traumatic world they lived in.

They also turned to the teachings of Jesus the Christ whom they followed for guidance. And in those teachings, they learned of the repeated history of violence, conquering, and being conquered. And they saw the alternative message that Jesus taught: demonstrate our love of God through loving each other, loving neighbors, and even loving the oppressive enemies.

So, instead of gathering weapons and power, these followers of Jesus the Christ offered love and help to their Roman neighbors. They bound wounds, offered medicine and a kind presence to people who were sick, they loved their neighbors, they loved their enemies, and they prayed and worshiped together, reminding each other that though the path they chose did not make sense in a world of “fight power with power,” this was the path that Jesus of Nazareth lived and taught.

The world is still a dark place, people are still circling wagons and gathering resources to hide or fight. But Christmas is a reminder, a still small voice, a voice so small it is symbolized in the presence of an infant child, calling us to a path of Grace. A small voice reminding us that peace is possible, we don’t need to react with anger and violence, we can choose to be loving and caring instead, even with those we perceive as enemies.

It is my fervent wish this year that even in the midst of darkness and conflict, even with memories of trauma and fear either fresh or distant in our minds, experienced first hand or vicariously through social and broadcast media, we think of this infant, this prophet, this enlightened one, this Jesus who is called Christ, and remind ourselves that even as we circle our wagons, we can choose to share peace and kindness with others, even others we don’t know or feel suspicious about.

I’m going to follow this thought with a challenge. For those who are able, if you find yourself sitting in a drive through window waiting for coffee or a meal, consider buying the coffee or meal for the car in line behind you. It’s a way of sharing that does not judge, and does not expect a reward or even a thank you. Catch the Spirit of Christmas, offer up a gift of kindness. The family in the car behind you may be Jewish, Christian, may be Muslim, may be Buddhist or Hindu. They may be black, they may be white, they may be Hispanic or Asian, they may be Gay or Straight. They may be living in poverty or blessed with great wealth. They may be politically conservative or liberal; they may be a member of the law enforcement community or they may be struggling with legal issues. No matter what their race, culture, or circumstance, they are human, and they are loved, even as we are loved. Share the Love.

May All People experience a Merry Christmas, a Blessed Holiday, and a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year.

A Christmas Meditation Gift

Another holiday season is upon us in the United States and worldwide. For Christians, this season celebrates the birth of Jesus, whom we know as Emmanuel, “God with us.”

If we were to imagine for a second that Jesus was born at the year 0 CE (historians differ as to the actual year of Jesus’ birth), He would have been celebrating His 16^th birthday 2000 years ago. Imagine that, Jesus as a young person, with all the hopes and dreams, the fears and insecurities, the hormones and emotions associated with a 16 year old maturing human being.

Prior to that he was a child, full of curiosity and questions, and prior to that a toddler brimming with energy. And prior to that, like any human child, Jesus was completely dependent on His parents for sustenance, nurture, love, and protection. Jesus was born in an area of the world that was perhaps as unstable and dangerous at the time of His birth as it is today. He was born homeless besides.

But the story of the birth of Jesus is not only about vulnerability. Nor is the birth of any child only about weakness and vulnerability. A newborn child has a mind that is not limited by learned rules and desires. The heart of a newborn child is not scarred with resentments and disappointments. And the core of a newly born child is not burdened with learned fears and responsibilities. A newborn child represents pure, unfettered potential for a free and joyful life, filled with unconditional love and meaningful accomplishment.

And this is my prayer for this Season, that we may all take a lesson from the newborn child, and make an effort to lay down our desires, resentments, and fears so that we may see, feel, and experience the world in new joyful, hopeful, loving, and faithful ways.

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With this in mind, consider sharing the gift of Meditation for Christmas. The Christian Tantric Meditation practice helps people to let go of desires, resentments and burdens, and realize our potential as joyful, loving, and confident human beings.

The Christian Tantric Meditation Guide book is available through Amazon at http://sunrisemeditation.org/publications/, and our next Christian Tantric meditation classes will be conducted in February of 2017. The series of four classes will be held on Saturdays February 4^th, 11^th, 18^th, and 25^th. In addition to the core practice classes, we will also be offering classes oriented towards addiction recovery, and advanced classes in compassion for people who have already taken the first four classes.

These classes are useful for beginners and people who are experienced in meditation alike. Our pricing will be 25.00 per individual class, or 80.00 if all four classes are signed up for in advance.

For more information, either call us at 678-358-8775, email us at dave@sunrisemeditation.org, or register at http://sunrisemeditation.org/contact-us/ on our website.

Whatever your tradition, religion, and culture, we wish you a joyful holiday season, filled with hope, love, and peace.

Experiencing Jesus at Christmas

As we approach Christmas, Christians anticipate the coming of Jesus in the intimate form of a baby, innocent and vulnerable. While the familiar Christmas story stands in stark contrast to the hype and commercialism that accompanies the season, for many of us, the commercial façade eventually fades and a real encounter takes place.

With regard to encountering Jesus during meditation, the book “Christian Tantric Meditation Guide” says:

“As we relax, we picture Jesus in our minds. Our friend, our teacher, and our comforter, Jesus is the One who loves us unconditionally. Jesus may appear in robes, He may appear sitting in front of us or next to us, He may appear very close, comforting and embracing us. Jesus may appear as we have seen in pictures or artistic renditions, or Jesus may appear in a different form. Jesus may even appear in female form, if we need Jesus to. Some of us have been deeply hurt by men in our lives. Jesus understands, and Jesus will come to us in any form we need in order to share God’s unconditional love.”

Recently, while practicing Christian Tantric Meditation, the vision I experienced was Jesus as a homeless person. Recently while visiting San Francisco, I encountered fully bearded homeless men with nut brown tans laying in the grass in parks. This was the Jesus I experienced during meditation. Some time later, I was working with a group of men in recovery when the meditation encounter resurfaced in my memory. I smiled to myself as I recognized that Jesus was among this group, reaching out to me and speaking to me, even as I worked with them.

On another occasion, while meditating I heard the voices of my family in the kitchen. Usually distractions don’t connect with my consciousness while meditating, but I heard these voices while I was practicing Divine Communion, visualizing Jesus. When I heard their voices, I recognized Jesus, reaching through them to connect with me in a warm and familiar way.

On yet another occasion, I experienced Jesus in a comforting embrace. The experience was intimate and much needed at the time, and I found my eyes tearing up in spontaneous reaction to the encounter.

Of course, meditation is one of many ways to encounter Jesus. It seems that every year, the Spirit of Christmas, the Spirit of Christ, eventually becomes a part of us. Some of us encounter the Spirit while writing cards and remembering friends and loved ones who are living away from us, some at church as the candles of Advent are lit, and for some the Spirit arrives with a glimpse of a child on a Mall Santa’s lap, eyes bright with hope and anticipation.

Whatever the reason or the situation, whether through quiet contemplation, joyful encounters with friends and family, or even in sharing a moment with a stranger, if we open ourselves to the encounter, the Spirit will come.

And this is my prayer for this Season, that we may all encounter the Prince of Peace, in whatever form that touches our hearts. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, Come.

Christmas Blessings from Ecumenical Christian Wellness Ministries.