Honor the truth behind the Christmas season

This is no news flash, but Christmas is next week, a high Christian holiday.

With it brings many things; the joy of children screaming, the expense of buying presents, the hustle and bustle of preparation and reconnecting with people. It also brings for some loneliness, want and despair, in some cases. One thing I have noticed is that no matter the circumstances, the season always seems to bring reflection. Notice those around you and that every one of us has something on our minds, whether it is memories of Christmas past or Christmas present, or maybe what’s in store for us with so much uncertainty in Christmas future.

Study the faces you see. Look closely. Every one of us — men, women and children — wear the face of some expectation, good or bad. One thing each of us needs is connection. Women can tell you men function differently and men can say the same, and at times it seems like there is a disconnect in our relationships; however, we are all human and with that we have commonality no matter the role we are assigned by birth in this life.

It matters not one wit if you are married, have a significant other, are single, widowed or whatever the fact is, we have a core desire to belong. At the birth of the Christ, the heavenly multitude didn’t announce it cooing. They came shouting, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill … good news of great joy for all the people … to you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Nothing was quiet at all, as the heavenly multitude was shouting.

Some of you may doubt this. That’s fine, but it’s hard to argue with the gospel message and what it teaches. The word “gospel” wasn’t something the early followers of Christ made up, it comes from the Greek word “euaggelion,” meaning “good news.” About 10 years before the birth of Christ, the Romans celebrated Caesar’s birthday by placing messages around about how he was the bringer of peace and a savior giving a new look to the entire world, and that Caesar’s birthday was the beginning of new life and good news for the world. After all Caesar was God, right? (Like some political leaders of today, nuts!)

So, when the earliest followers of Christ began to tell the world that he was the good news and an alternative new life, the savior representing peace and salvation, there is no wonder the Romans reacted the way they did. (Can anyone say dinnertime for lions?)

So, who was this Christ? Most of us know the story and have watched the movies, but was he what we have believed — the image of a demur, somewhat overtly gentle soul always speaking quietly with long shiny hair, a thin face and pale? Probably not. Remember, he was by birth a son of the House of David, the strong-willed warrior king of Israel. No pabulum in that credential.

A man I have met, Stu Weber, wrote a small missal concerning this Jesus the Christ. The name of that book is “Heart of a Tender Warrior.” The little book by Weber, a former Army Ranger and Vietnam vet, puts in perspective the relationship of men to their wives and children and the world in general, and what Christ expects of us. No fake Hollywood macho stuff where steely-eyed real men never cry. He writes straightforward and to the point when he describes what the Messiah may have looked like based on his revelation during a trip to Israel. Envision a Christ clothed as a human, a son of David, a god-man who came with a mission and a purpose for all humankind.

As Weber describes: “A Jewish male in his prime, a native born sabra, which in Hebrew means prickly pear cactus: Tough on the outside sweet and tender inside. Dark by pigment, dark by the bronzing of the sun. His hair black, medium length, somewhat wavy hanging naturally on his head and matted on his forehead in the afternoon heat. His eyes very dark, black as steel, sometimes soft, with smiles dancing on the edges. Piercing eyes, kind and intelligent eyes brimming with life. A man, smiling a welcome to all who flocked to him and his message. A man in love with life, his family, his people and his nation. This son of God, the real Tender Warrior, the Christ!”

This makes sense. We have all known men who have loved their God, family and nation like this. What better identifier to come among us to spread the new order, the good news and reveal the hidden truth of our basic human need and our very humanity and the need to be connected one to the other? This Christ, whose birthday we celebrate, came with humble beginnings, the earthly son of a carpenter, kind Joseph, who raised him also as a hardworking carpenter. He was the child of a beautiful young woman, Mary, who cared and loved him dearly and watched him die young on a cross at the hands of cruel humanity. A Christ on a mission, and at the end, his face set toward Jerusalem and going knowing that he would end on the torture stake.

For what would he, or any man or woman of flesh, sacrifice this very life itself, which is short and precious? For love!

Yes, the word is “love” — love of life, love of family, love of his people, love of his nation, which is all of us. Some people and some religious teachings do not believe that Jesus the Christ was God. Fine, but it is undeniable that the message — whether he be God or man — that he spread, lived by and died by applies to all humanity. Truth is truth, and we may not like the messenger, believe the story of his birth, nor celebrate his birthday, but the message is still true.

We can grab hold of it and shake it any way we want, but always in the end we need each other and must do right and well by each other, treating others as we ourselves want to be treated. Look into the mirror, not just once a year, and look into your heart. No one wants to be abused in any way, either by actions or words. Take on the role of provider, helper, neighbor and defender and become the “Tender Warrior” as the humble baby in the manger who grew did so many, many days and nights ago.

Have a blessed Christmas and peace be upon us all.

Verne Rupright has been Wasilla mayor since 2008.