Is Christmas a feast only for Christians?
by Brother Martin
The message of Christmas is the message of Peace. When Christ was born the angels appeared and sang: glory to God in the highest and peace to the people of good will on the earth. The birth of Christ is the birth of the Son of God or the Daughter of God or the universal consciousness. This birth was possible because of a virgin or virgin parents. So peace is inter-connected with a virgin, with the Son of God or the Daughter of God or the universal consciousness.
Christmas can be understood on many levels:
Firstly Christmas reveals that the ultimate destiny of creation that began with the Big Bang is to become a virgin. The ultimate destiny of creation that began with the Big Bang and went through the process of evolution is to give birth to the sons and daughters of God or the universal consciousness that lives for the welfare of the whole of creation. St. Paul says very beautifully that ‘the whole of creation is eagerly groaning to give birth to the sons and daughters of God’. We can say that the Big Bang is the conception of the seed of God that ultimately evolves into the sons and daughters of God. In this sense we can say that the whole process of evolution is the season of advent, waiting for the seed of God to bear fruit into sons and daughters of God. For this the whole process of evolution has to become a virgin so that it prepares itself to give birth to God’s children.
Secondly it is not only the material universe that has to become a virgin but it is also necessary that all physical parents have to become virgin parents to facilitate the birth of the sons and daughters of God. The call that came to Virgin Mary is a call that comes to all physical parents. Until the time of Mary and Joseph physical parents claimed that the children born to them were their children, a gift of God given to them. With Mary and Joseph a revolution took place. They said, ‘this child is not our child but God’s child’. This child came through us but does not belong to us. It belongs to God’. St. Joseph was called foster parent. In this way Mary and Joseph were foster parents to God’s child. They became virgin parents. They celebrated Christmas. Christmas happens every time a child is born but for this physical parents have to be virgin parents. They have to admit publicly that their child is God’s child but not their child. With Mary and Joseph the ultimate purpose of physical parents is fulfilled and spiritual revolution began. We can say that the period before the arrival of Mary and Joseph was the season of advent in the Jewish tradition waiting for the virgin parents who give birth to God's child.
Thirdly, the call to virginity is not limited to the material universe and physical parents but also to all religions. Every religion has to become a virgin religion. It means that every religion should bring up its followers as God’s children, not belonging to a particular religion. Every religion should be a foster parent or a nanny to God’s children. Bringing up children exclusively belonging to a particular religion is to sow the seeds of division, conflict and violence in the world. When we bring up children belonging to God then we sow the seeds of unity and peace in the world. Every child grows recognising others as his or her brothers and sisters. This inaugurates one God, one creation and one humanity. For this every religion has to be a virgin religion. The Virgin Mary not only represents physical parents but also all religions. All religions are called by God to become virgins and give birth to God’s children. In this sense we can say that the time before this truth was a period of advent to religions.
Fourthly, the call to virginity is not limited to the material universe, physical parents and religions but also to all great personalities, who have realised their spiritual potential. Every great person has to become a spiritual virgin so that he or she does not try to increase his or her followers but always invite his or her followers to grow towards God and realise his or her spiritual potential. Jesus Christ washed the feet of his disciples to show that his mission was not to accumulate followers for himself but help them to realise their spiritual potential. He was a virgin master. He said, ‘ I do not call you my followers or servants but I call you my friends’. Only a virgin master will say that.
Fifthly, virginity is also a call to transform our life into God’s life, our actions into God’s actions, our ordinary life into extraordinary or divine life, our secular life into sacred life and our ordinary actions into sacred rituals. A spiritual virgin will say, ‘my life is not my life but God’s life. My actions are not my actions but God’s actions and my children are not my children but God’s children’. In this sense every action that we do is giving birth to a child of God. Every action is the celebration of Christmas. Every moment is Christmas. Every moment is virgin birth. Jesus Christ said, ‘the works which I do are not mine, but the Father who dwells in me does his works’. Jesus Christ was a virgin mother. He celebrated Christmas every moment of his life.
Hence the feast of Christmas reveals the ultimate destiny of material universe, physical parents, religions, great personalities and the ultimate purpose of our human existence. It is to become spiritual virgins and give birth to the sons and daughters of God, to transform our actions into God's actions. This will contribute to unity and peace in the world.
Hence Christmas is not meant to be a yearly commemoration by Christians of what happened 2016 years ago but to realise its truth in the life of every parent, every religion, every great person and every individual. Christmas is not a feast only for Christians but to all. Every one is invited by God through the angel Gabriel to become a virgin and give birth to the sons and daughters of God. When this happens then the angels appear and sing: glory to God in the highest and peace to the people on the earth.