#CHRISTISNOWHERE (how do you see reality these days?)
They say that to pay attention to your life and the world around you is to open yourself up to grief, sorrow, disappointment, and rage. What if you could see it different?
For those of you who enjoy grammar puns, you already know the joke about how commas save lives - “It’s time to eat Chris!” or: “It’s time to eat, Chris!”
Grammar matters, commas matter, punctuation matters. Why? It helps guide what you see on the page, it helps chart a course for how to read the letters which have been plotted together.
Did you know that the original Hebrew of the Torah did not have punctuation? That many of the Greek and Latin translations of the New Testament did not use commas or periods or spacing between words.
Clearly, we are in debt to the scholars who translated the ancient Hebrew Scriptures and Greek New Testament into the English language, including commas, periods, and spacing between words.
But in real life, it seems that we are still in need of grammarians, experts who can help us better see the story unfolding in front of us, even within us, and make sense of it. Clearly, commas save lives, and spacing between words translates into often very different interpretations.
For example, when you look at the world these days, with the wars in Ukraine and the Holy Land, the political violence in Syria and Afghanistan, and the slaughters in Somalia and South Sudan, to pay attention to it, to try and interpret what it means, we need a grammarian to guide us….
When you see this hashtag, what do you see: #CHRISTISNOWHERE
For me, when I see all the death and destruction being inflicted upon innocent children, women, and men around the world and in our hometowns, it would seem that CHRIST IS NO WHERE.
Does it take a grammarian to break it down that way for us? It seems obvious. It’s up to us to save ourselves. Humanity only has one another to stop the violence and forge peace. That is how it seems, depending on how you see reality these days.
Is there another way to see it differently, the world, our communities, ourselves?
It would take faith to read the hashtag as: CHRIST IS NOW HERE.
It would take a special kind of grammarian to convince us that this is how we ought to space the sentences. And it would take some guidance and encouragement to pay attention long enough to see it be true.
When I look at the world around me and within me and try to interpret what I see, there is a desire to avoid false hope, to avoid naivety, as well as avoid cynicism and despair. So what is left?
These words by Dietrich Bonhoeffer resonate with me deeply; he’s a kind of grammarian who still has lessons to teach the world on how to interpret what we see:
In Jesus Christ the reality of God has entered into the reality of this world.
The place where the questions about the reality of God and about the reality of the world are answered at the same time is characterized solely by the name: Jesus Christ.
God and the world are enclosed in this name. In Christ all things exist (Col. 1:17).
From now on we cannot speak rightly of either God or the world without speaking of Jesus Christ.
All concepts of reality that ignore Jesus Christ are abstractions.
All thinking about the good that plays off what ought to be against what is, or what is against what ought to be, is overcome where the good has become reality, namely, in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ cannot be identified either with an ideal, a norm, or with what exists.
The enmity of the ideal toward what exists, the fanatical imposition of an idea on an existing entity that resists it, can be as far from the good as the surrender of the ought to the expedient.
The ought as well as the expedient receive in Christ a completely new meaning.
The irreconcilable opposition of ought to be and is finds reconciliation in Christ, that is, in ultimate reality.
To participate in this reality is the true meaning of the question concerning the good.
Ethics, 54-55
If you feel drawn to see the world as it really is and trust that CHRIST IS NOW HERE, consider putting it into practice in your personal life - here are some suggestions:
be patient with those who irritate you and inconvenience you at home and work
be kind to those who are hurting you (hurt people hurt people...) as you build healthy boundaries
take note of when you measure yourself against others: “at least I’m not as bad as them…” and name it for what it is: self-pride and a haughty spirit.
notice when you are getting envious of others: happiness, success, purchases, beauty, etc. and instead be grateful for the good that is real in your own life.
Why these? On a global scale they are at the root of all that is terrible in world history. In our personal lives, where we have much more agency and ability to choose our destiny, we can actually make a difference in the reality right in front of us.
Why these? In the chaotic and brutally violent world of Saint Paul, writing while imprisoned by the cold Imperial law of Rome, writing to the hedonistic and conflicted Corinthians, he becomes like a grammarian to them on how to read the world through the lens of love: LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND, LOVE DOES NOT ENVY, IS NOT PROUD.
And as Saint Augustine would observe a few centuries later:
“Can one love his brother [or neighbor or stranger or enemy] and not love Love? Of necessity, he must love LOVE…. In loving LOVE he loves God.”
It is in this reality, with grammarians like Bonhoeffer, Paul and Augustine we can discern how to read our world, where to put the spaces, and see what they saw in their turbulent and terrible times too: CHRIST IS NOW HERE.
How?
When we live and kneel and love in the world “in Christ” as the “body of Christ” - that is a way for all of us to see anew from where we live now.
It may not fix everything right away, but it does not take us away from the world as it is; rather: it draws us into it with eyes wide open, it prompts us to pay attention to the reality in front of us, and we then receive a Grammarian of LOVE to guide us, to help us interpret what we see and act accordingly.
A comment from Fadi Suidan, CEO of Jerusalem International YMCA:
Dear Tim,
As we approach this Christmas season in the Holy Land, amidst the conflict between Israel and Hamas, I find myself in profound contemplation. This year, the holiday period is unlike any I have encountered in my lifetime. It is, without doubt, the most difficult. My heart is torn, grieving for the loss of life and the nonstop suffering around us. In these moments of deep sorrow, the need to feel Christ's presence is more intense than ever.
Your exploration of the #CHRISTISNOWHERE strikes a chord, especially now. In the face of such overwhelming adversity, where despair and hopelessness loom large, it's easy to feel that "CHRIST IS NO WHERE." The relentless conflict, the fear it instills, and the despair it brings, can make it seem as though we have been forsaken.
However, the message of Christmas, the celebration of Christ's birth, offers a different perspective - a beacon of hope in these dark times. It's a reminder that even in the most tumultuous periods, "CHRIST IS NOW HERE." This message is not merely a play on words but a profound truth that resonates deeply in our hearts, particularly during this difficult period.
As a Christian Arab witnessing the agony of my land, the teachings of Bonhoeffer, Paul, and Augustine, which you eloquently referenced, provide a source of strength. They remind us that amid conflict and sorrow, Christ's presence offers a beacon of hope, a promise of peace, and a call to love even in the most challenging circumstances.
This Christmas, as I struggle with the pain and the grief of the ongoing conflict, the message of Christ's birth takes on a new, more profound meaning. It is a reminder that despite the darkness surrounding us, there is a light that cannot be extinguished. It is a call to hold onto faith, to find solace in the promise of Christ's presence, and to embody His teachings of compassion, peace, and love.
The celebration of Christ's birth in these trying times is a testament to the enduring power of hope and faith. It is a reminder that no matter how dire the circumstances, "CHRIST IS NOW HERE" - in our hearts, in our actions, and in the love we share with those around us. It is with this belief that we decided to hold the “lighting of the tree” event on advent Sunday despite all the criticism we encountered.
In this season of reflection, amidst the turmoil and the tears, I am reminded of the importance of holding onto the message of Christmas. It is a source of strength, a beacon of hope, and a reminder of Christ's enduring presence in our lives.
Wishing you Hope, Love and Peace,
Fadi Suidan, Adv.
CEO, Jerusalem International YMCA