All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 

Psalm 98:3

In many parts of the globe, today is filled with celebrations. In London, there is a halt to all public transport, an eloquent acknowledgment of the uniqueness of Christmas. For some, it is a day to have a big family meal with loved ones that have not been seen for a while. A few others will feel a bit unease with the closure of pubs since more drinks would have made the day quite solemn. Phones will ring throughout the day and we get the chance to unwrap our gifts. Yet, something strange, something untutored happened with the birth of Jesus. His coming was not a privilege to a select few. He came so that all might see the salvation of God; his appearing was a note of welcome, a welcoming of the otherness of the other.

The story of Christmas cannot be complete without a mention of the shepherds, people who were without a decent job, people considered to be the dregs. These were welcomed and they saw in themselves a dignity restored by God, to be a part of a new world-order. Theodor Adorno, the late German critical theorist, had taught that if a new world is permitted to exist, then, such a world has to be just, and its justice must be for everyone. In other words, to welcome the other is to create an environment for justice.

Christmas too, reminds us of the Wise Men who were not Jews. These were not a part of all the oracles of old. Mary and Joseph were not inhabitants of Jerusalem and the little village of Bethlehem was a mangy one. In all of these, there is a clear lesson: God came into human existence with its flaws as well as its beauty. Because all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of the Lord, God came to dwell, not to visit; he came to renew, not to destroy. Christmas tells us more about who we can become, than condemning us for who we are.

Such is the reality of today's celebration. The house of God is a welcoming to the other, a welcome that speaks the language of kindness and toleration, while at the same teaches the revealed truths of sacred scripture and tradition. Since everyone is set to see the salvation of God, a prisoner in The House of the Dead, says of Christmas: Now, God has come to us. This is where He lives all year … He goes to the cathedral only on special occasions.

Are you, where you are or at the cathedral? Today is special. Tomorrow might not be.

***

A reflection written by Anthony B. Zabbey O.S.A., SOAS, University of London

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