We at EDN are in a period of reflection and contemplation for the important season of Christmas. Our attention will be on raising certain questions that we invite you to comment on. We will return to our series probing controversial issues on January 4th.
TODAY’S QUESTION: Which story surrounding the birth of Jesus in the Gospels most informs the meaning of Christmas for you?
by Allan R. Bevere Several years ago, I was in Cuba on a teaching mission. One afternoon, during some free time, our hosts took us to a mountain on the Isle of Youth. There was a path up the side of the mountain, and those of us who were able and willing, were invited…
by Robert R. LaRochelle What advice would you offer to couples who are in interreligious situations? What might be some ways of navigating through these differences successfully? In A Home United, I offer several suggestions for dealing with this reality. I would love to read what you have to say. In addition, if anyone has…
Onofrio and now his son Horacio, knew no other time of day more favored than early dawn. Night slowly surrendered to the glow on the eastern horizon. Immature clouds flirted with the last shimmer of fading stars. Amber, gold with blushes of pink and receding purple comprised a festive collage announcing the birth of…
BY Chris Surber For the first time in my life I’ve experienced something bigger than words. I’m writing a section of “A Cup of Cold Water” tonight. Keyboards and computers are inadequate vessels for some things. Even words can only contain so much of an idea. God has reshaped everything for me. How do…
by Henry Neufeld, Publisher I believe the greatest fear we have of change is the way that changes cascade. One thing leads to another. We experience this in daily life when a simple change to our routine impacts other activities. My decision to go to bed later changes my morning routine, which changes the outline…
Steve Kindle’s article on the recent school shooting in Florida raised some interesting questions and in the process demonstrated some problems that makes this issue so divisive. One of the issues that divides people is the very nature of the problem itself. Steve is clear in how he sees the problem when he writes, “The…
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It may seem odd, but for me it is probably the story of the flight into Egypt, complete with the problematic quotation of Hosea 11:1 as a prophecy, which, in context, it clearly is not.
The reason the story is so meaningful to me, however, is that through it and that very problematic quotation, Matthew links this saving act with God’s saving acts in the history of Israel. It is not a sudden change in who God is or how God acts. Rather, it is an act of salvation by One for whom that is the norm.
It also highlights God’s persistence. Hosea 11 is actually somewhat of an indictment of Israel. Yet throughout Israel’s history, God doesn’t give up.
Perhaps we can hope that in spite of our many failings, God is not yet done with us. God’s saving work continues!
For me, it is the angelic announcement to the shepherds. Not only did God bypass Rome for Bethlehem, but God ignored the imperial court in favor of the lowliest folk in the most despised province of the empire. Coupled with Mary’s Song in Luke 1, we see a God who works for justice in an unjust world.
BTW, Henry–this is my idea of what salvation is all about; a thorough “this-worldy” cleanup of oppression so that humans may one day live in shalom.
That’s a good point. I’m really looking at this material with my plans to restart my eschatology series in January. The impact of one’s view of eschatology can be interesting!