The Christmas Parade participants wearing Santa Claus costumes distributed food to residents while walking around Salatiga City, Central Java, Saturday (12/22/2018).
On Christmas Eve 1914, the German and British forces in the trenches of World War I did something “crazy”. It was never clear who started it, but the two sides, without any fear of bullets, came out of their trenches, dropped their weapons and walked towards each other singing Christmas carols. Upon meeting, the soldiers hugged, smiled and said “Merry Christmas” to one another. The flames of enmity were extinguished and enemies became friends.
Unfortunately, the intimacy of that Christmas Eve was temporary. The commanders of both sides were furious and threatened to court-martial anyone who dared to show friendliness towards the enemy.
As a political tool, wars divide people. It is truly defamation, instead of veneration, of humanity. The soldiers of the two sides were then ordered to return to their trenches and continue the brutal war, which would go on for another four years. They decimated one another; millions of innocent people suffered and died. Everything was destroyed! “Homo homini lupus (Man is wolf to man,” Plautus once said.
All of us long for a civilized world, but we are often controlled by inhumane desires. Paul acknowledges this: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:19)
Ambiguity has been with us throughout our history. Despite McLuhan hoping that the world would become a global village where people were free to communicate and establish relations with one another, we live in a truly fractured society. There is mutual mistrust and suspicion. There is ethnic discrimination and conflicts due to an excessive desire for political power.
Trapped in Manichean theology
In this post-truth era, polarity has widened because we seek justification instead of truth. We are trapped in the dualistic and polar Manichean theology. We understand the world as a conflict of good versus evil, light versus dark, pure versus perverted, son of God versus son of Satan. We see our foes no longer as men, but as evil.
This is the root of religious crimes. This paradigm of duality and polarity exists in the theology of all religions. Consequently, religions are two-faced: kind and wrathful at the same time.
Schmit said this dualistic and polarized paradigm was “the mother” of all ideologies and politics. It has become an “implicit theology” that colors all of our ideologies and politics.
The increased political temperature that has caused polarization in our lives occurred because of an abuse of this political paradigm. Consequently, we see the 2019 election not as a celebration of democracy, but as the Battle of Badr or Armageddon.
In war, everything is justified. Hoaxes, lies and hate speech flow freely on social media. Our communal identities are fortified; the unifying national ideologies are marginalized. Religions are defamed as political instruments. People discriminate and destroy each other.
Harari was right when he concluded that the root of all the world’s problems is politics. Of course, politics here means the struggle for power and not devotion to humanity.
We need politics that saves, politics that compels people to serve the nation and humanity for fairness, peace and all of creation!
Serious about this world
It is in this context of the world’s challenges and problems that Jesus was born. He brought salvation to us all. Christmas shows that God is not Deus otiosus that neglects the world and humanity. God is serious about this world.
Christmas is a political event in which the Almighty becomes human! He is present not to be venerated, but instead to devote Himself to humanity. Jesus’ politics is politics immersed in Godly wisdom marked by love and humility.
Jesus criticized pathological worldly cultures that intoxicated people with wealth, despotic power, inhumane desires and vicious exclusivism.
What is the use of religion without love? Paul said that Jesus was God’s blessing to us (Corinthians 1:24). Jesus is an example of constant veneration of humanitarian and universal solidarity in the face of discrimination and exploitation.
Accepting reality
Ambiguity is a reality of this world. On the one hand, we wish to live in safety but we are forced to accept the reality that we are living in a fragile world. Blessings and disasters come in turn. So do joy and sadness.
Not one soul that lived in Pandeglang or was vacationing at Anyer Beach knew that a tsunami would change their lives forever. The tsunami turned joy into tears of sadness. Indonesia is in mourning. However, the ambiguities of life should not be responded to with mere sorrow. There must be concrete action!
Christmas reminds us that God is present amid worldly ambiguities.
Christmas is a message that you are never truly alone. God is with you. Christmas challenges us all to move together to build national and humanitarian solidarity.
Your sorrow is my sorrow, too; your cries of pain are my cries of pain. We cry together; we will face this together! This is the spirit of Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
(ALBERTUS PATTY, Clergyman; Chairman, Indonesian Communion of Churches)
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