via FRANCIS ANEKWE OBORJI
"within the starting turned into the be aware: the word become with God and the word was God … The observe grew to be flesh, he lived amongst us, and we noticed his glory, the glory that he has from the father as best Son of the daddy, full of grace and actuality… indeed, from his fullness we have, everybody, acquired – one present changing an additional, for the legislations turned into given through Moses, grace and reality have come via Jesus Christ." (John 1:1,three,14,16-17).
within the first area, I begin this brief reflection through wishing each, and each one among us, individuals of our respective households, pals, communities and the nation, a very Merry Christmas 2020, and a serene and affluent New yr 2021. might also the baby Jesus, the Prince of Peace and Lord of Lords, born within the manger at Bethlehem of Judea on Christmas Day for our everlasting salvation, fill our individual hearts, minds souls and spirit, which is the indwelling area in us, of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit published in Jesus Christ, with his certainty, Love and Peace! Amen!
may additionally the Spirit of the newborn Jesus – the Risen Christ, locate his dwelling-domestic in us, and seriously change our particular person hearts, minds, souls and redeemed human spirits, into his vicinity of habitation! Amen! may additionally he bless us with robust faith, grace, respectable health, sincerity of coronary heart, energy of personality and steadfastness, and with love of neighbor, singlemindedness, safety of lives and property, and insurance policy from each danger and the evil one, now and forever! Amen!
The delivery of 'certainty' at Christmas at a Time like This!
This Christmas and New year celebrations, my reflection facilities on the theme of 'certainty' at a time like ours nowadays! it is a reflection on Jesus Christ because the Self-revelation of the 'fact of God.' it is, Jesus Christ himself, because the final and fullness of God's Self-revelation to humanity and the realm, the truth of God, which took human flesh on Christmas Day at Bethlehem in Judea for our redemption and salvation! God, who, in his fullness and at the appointed time, published Himself to us, in Jesus Christ, the 2d adult of the Blessed Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The delivery of this 'fact', who is Jesus Christ with the aid of identify, and who was born in human flesh at Bethlehem, is what, we Christians have a good time at Christmas each year! Christmas is ready this 'fact,' Jesus Christ, God-made-man for our salvation. Christmas time, therefore, offers us a chance to reflect on the actuality of God published in Jesus Christ, and on its relationship to the reign of the dominion of God in our hearts, inaugurated in Jesus Christ himself – the 'truth', born at Bethlehem on Christmas Day.
Some simple Questions
One may also ask, 'what has all these gotten to do with the fact on the ground today on the planet in which we are living?' an international devastated by means of the scourges of COVID-19 pandemic that appears to haven't any end in view? a global wherein regular residents are more and more losing self belief and thrust of their political leaders and institutions of governance? a global groaning under mediocrity of an increasingly declining visionary and straightforward political management, while wallowing in the limitless wasteland of globalized intense capitalism and consumerism?
What has a discourse on Jesus Christ because the 'reality of God' born in human flesh at Bethlehem on Christmas Day, gotten to do with our world nowadays? a world governed by way of neo-geopolitics and neo-colonialism supremacy of the powerful countries and the 'superpowers' over and above terrible peoples and nations of the realm? it's, with their excruciating, exploitative and oppressive economic and political order, as well as spiritual, cultural and traditional associations, that perceived to have relegated certainty and God, in addition to things of God to the background, whereas extolling a kind of 'neo-humanism' and 'world order' devoid of Christ – the Incarnation of the Son of God at Christmas?
an international where the hole between the prosperous and bad are on day by day boost and the conclusion isn't in sight? a global it is these days, beneath regular threats of lethal virus and pandemics that frequently looked tele-guided, and during which the regular-man appears at a loss for words about its starting place, even if they're herbal, or artifical! a world infested with political instability brought about by corrupt regimes, totalitarianism, and of economic recession, exploitation of the bad, as well as wars, genocides, racism, ethnic-cleansings of the most susceptible organizations or countries, and persisted religious fundamentalism and terrorism of the optimum order!
What has a discourse on Jesus Christ because the 'certainty' of God born in human flesh at Christmas gotten to do with the area of nowadays held in sway through the Western hegemony – the political, cultural, and moral disaster and secularism of the West this is immensely affecting all mankind? a global, the place there is no commonly identified system of values on which to construct? an international the place even crimes in opposition t humanity are justified through pseudo-non secular enthusiasts, ethnic-irredentism, racism, bigotry, cultural imperialism, severe anti-immigration legal guidelines, deceit of the satan, and ideological hegemony supposed to force acceptance of their demand for totalitarian power and control?
Even in nations that claim to be training democracy and constitutional legislation, safety of lives and human rights are being subjugated to whims and caprices of the privileged few, the most appreciated and robust within the society, on a pretense of the latest majority choice in the Parliament that's anything however anti-americans, lopsided, corrupt and devoid of human face! a global where the powerful, filthy rich, and modern imperial centers of vigour, would privilege the conservation of nature (which is decent), but downplays that of human lives? an international where environmental pollution of ancestral lands of bad countries with rich natural and mineral elements, through indiscriminate exploitation and mining of the Multi-national agencies, takes precedence over and above insurance policy of human lives and environment of the native inhabitants! a global the place billions of dollars may well be spent by using the potent for the depopulation of the bad countries within t he Southern Hemisphere, however very little attention is paid to nursing, promotion and maintaining the life of each human person, certainly, the most vulnerable and the poor, from theory to herbal dying!
As one creator rhetorically, puts it: "In what number of states are the fundamental human rights followed unconditionally in concept and practice? somebody who, as an example, rejects the killing of a baby in his mother's womb or assisted suicide as a result of life is an inviolable reward of God, and considers the equation of marriage with sexual members of the family between folks of the equal intercourse to be a degradation of the lifelong partnership of a man and a girl, may also be prosecuted for alleged intolerance." (Gerhard Cardinal Müller, "The power of certainty", Ignatius Press, San Francisco 2019, 7).
furthermore, one may also additionally ask, what has our reflection on the truth of God revealed in Jesus Christ gotten to do with our contemporary world the place the modernist's philosophy that questions the relevance of religion for the modern man appears to be on the rise again, even amongst our own intellectuals? At a time like ours nowadays, when a few of our personal local intellectuals are blaming religion because the cause of our woes, of what use is for this reason, a reflection of this form on the 'fact of God' printed in Jesus Christ at Christmas? At a time like this when some blame faith as the cause of one of the vital social violence and poverty in the society, and because the reason majority of the terrible loads lack courage to challenge their despotic rulers and dictators, of what use is a mirrored image of this kind at Christmas and New year!
modern Man's Denial of 'fact'
Our thesis in this reflection is that the above situation of disaster in our world these days, flows from modern man's 'refined' however 'potent' denial of truth of God published in Jesus Christ. it is a sign also that our apparently manifestation of pomposity of religiosity in today's world, is not dermis-deep. issues are the style they're nowadays, as a result of as creatures of God, we are working away from embracing the "goal actuality", and its remodeling energy, which is 'established in God, the Creator of the world, and within the nature of things, and which turns into show up in rational human concept.'
for many nowadays, faith is effective simplest if it could offer worldly consolation, strength, impact, actual 'curative' and fabric wealth! The actual come upon with the 'actuality of God' printed in Jesus Christ, the overall transformation of the human person the encounter with God printed in Jesus Christ brings about, is regularly relegated to the historical past in our non secular beliefs and practices nowadays. this is the problem! it's as if religion is there best to present consolation to individuals, or to serve one's very own wants. In other phrases, up to date man has made 'reality' of God, anything subjective, self-serving, and as that which finds its criterion best in particular person, egocentric skills and pleasure. by using so doing, the modern man has himself refused to embody utterly the fact of 'truth' of God – the kingdom of freedom, love and authentic peace printed in Jesus Christ!
The modern man is as a consequence, stranded in what theologians call the "dictatorship of relativism" – the philosophy that believes that anything is nearly as good because the different, and that anything can go, despite the fact that it's towards the legislations of nature and God! this is the crux of the depend!
contemporary man has, out of his free will, backed far from embracing totally, the 'new lifestyles' of the Gospel of redemption, a metamorphosis of human lifestyles shaped by the birth of Jesus Christ in human flesh on earth. it is as if contemporary man has determined, out of his free will, to run away from the redemptive acts of Jesus Christ, which we Christians have a good time, first at Christmas, after which, reenact at Easter in its fullest form!
because the Gospel of John, which we quoted initially of this reflection, reminds us: "What has come into being in him (Jesus Christ) changed into life, existence that was the light of men; and the light shines in darkness, and darkness could not overcome it" (John 1:1-5). truly, what many are yet to respect is that Jesus Christ did not come on earth and took human flesh, as a result of he wanted just to make us excellent individuals, as in the herbal order of issues, unredeemed human nature.
No. The Son of God did not take human flesh, simply to make us excellent persons. otherwise, there isn't any difference between Christianity and other world religions like Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, the Primal (common) Religions, and many others., or the natural legislation of nature! somewhat, God in Jesus Christ took human flesh at Christmas to radically change us from inside, body and soul, heart and spirit! The Son of God took human flesh to make us improved human beings, redeemed, renewed, and recreated, within the 'photograph and likeness of God', as adopted little children of God through Jesus Christ himself.
here is the mystery, which we have fun at Christmas! Our adopted 'son-ship' (or 'daughter-ship') in God via Jesus Christ, transcends our 'organic' or some other category of 'beginning' within the herbal order. Christianity, hence, is not pretty much lengthy life, or expensive or nice living during this transitory world. it is concerning the present of new existence, the eternal existence in God through Christ, the taste of which we're expected to bear witness to in this lifestyles, in the hope of the eschaton!
this is the 'new life' in God inaugurated with the arriving of Jesus Christ as "God-man" on the planet at Christmas! Ours is therefore, a 'redeemed lifestyles' via Jesus Christ. We aren't any longer residing a 'lifestyles' of the natural order, so to say, however somewhat within the 'supernatural' order in this world, shaped by using the redemptive acts of Jesus Christ through his Incarnation (Christmas), ardour, Crucifixion, death and Resurrection!
within the 'ancient order', it became as if man depended wholesale on his personal vigor as man to figure out his personal fate, without God. within the historic religions of the East, man idea he could attain God and issues of God through himself, via personal contemplation (or yoga), and sometimes, through 'worship' of nature and sky. The followers of traditional Religions, on their own part, e.g., African natural religion (ATR), sought God and issues of God through ancestral veneration and mediation between the visible and invisible worlds, the area of man and that of the spirit-world. In each and every of those situations, there was no method man might attain God and even be aware of God as God is in himself, with the aid of human efforts alone. as a result of, best God can make God ordinary, and best him alone, can reveal his authentic nature and internal-life to man and different created fact.
furthermore, goodwill isn't adequate! Goodwill, itself, is a part of the hassle of man to know God all by means of himself and through his own efforts or search (contemplation) of the 'divine.' this is not ample! There should be 'divine grace', shaped by using Christ-event, the incarnation (Christmas) and crucifixion on the go, to make that ensue! As average theology teaches us, "grace does not destroy nature." quite, it perfects and ennobles nature, to make it fulfilling before God and man, for the greater glory and honor of God."
'Nature', on its own, has no which means without the 'Supernatural', enlightening the 'nature', giving it shape and meaning! moreover, it is not the feature of 'nature', to determine on its own, the beginning and contents of the 'Supernatural.' Explaining everything in regards to the 'Supernatural' on the foundation of 'herbal' order by myself, is just like the barrister at legislations, who sees every little thing about man and human nature from criminal element of view, forgetting that man is greater than prison or things of human legislations! it's might even be likened to that psychologist (and even the psychoanalyst), who attempts to explain every little thing about man, human nature and conduct in terms of psychoanalysis or psychoneurosis.
These experts in a number of fields of humanity and human conduct regularly neglect that man is greater than any container of their specializations. They overlook the divine nature, starting place and fate of man is in God. furthermore, they neglect that nature on its own can't do tons. Nature needs the grace of God to recognise its essence of being and fate! with out grace, nature is nothing! here is how the Creator, has made it to be from the beginning. it is also a part of the factors, why we have the incarnation of the notice of God, Jesus Christ, in human flesh, and never pantheism.
Pantheism believes that 'every little thing is 'supernatural' and 'supernatural' is every thing.' this is blasphemy! In different words, pantheism is a belief in and worship of nature as gods. Pantheism mixes nature with nature and calls it 'supernatural.' The equivalent of which is 'magic.' Pantheism doesn't distinguish between nature and the 'supernatural.' Neither does it comprehend of the grace of God, which nature must make itself enjoyable before God and man. it's heretical, and theologically wrong, to communicate of blend of nature with the 'supernatural' for one to create a new order! somewhat the order of things is that the grace of God works on nature with the intention to renew nature itself and recreate it in accordance with God's normal plan of salvation for man and the created reality.
here is as a result of, the origin of 'nature' itself is from the 'Supernatural' and its final destiny, relies on the 'Supernatural.' it is the work of the 'Supernatural' to exhibit to 'nature' the proper which means of what it's, its form and content, and not the other way round. this is the order of nature, of our pertaining to with the 'Supernatural', and of our relationship and manner of comprehending, in an goal method, the mystery of God, the Creator, who, in his fullness, at the appointed time, has been published to us, in Jesus Christ!
Such that the trouble of man in all the non-Christian religions to reach God via man's very own effort, could most fulfilling be described as 'providential means', God, in his divine knowledge utilized in preparing humanity – the followers of these non-Christian religions for the arriving of Jesus Christ. With the advent of Christianity, besides the fact that children, these non-Christian religions have served their intention. within the new dispensation, hence, the simplest authentic option to God – the 'actuality' about God, is Jesus Christ. each attention now may still be focused on Christ, in whom, is the fullness of God's Self-disclosure to humanity and world!
therefore, thanks to the arriving of Jesus Christ in human flesh, humanity has now learnt the authentic means of God's dealing with man and the created fact. It isn't 'man going to God through human efforts', however quite God, in His Son, Jesus Christ, coming to man in human flesh. God involves us. In introduction, he came down and created man in his image and likeness, and called him to communion with himself in paradise. This changed into before the "Fall" of man via sin. creation itself turned into God's initiative, not man's.
For our redemption after the "Fall" of the 'first fogeys' Adam and Eve, God, out of his personal initiative, and in keeping with his original plan of salvation, despatched his own begotten Son, Jesus Christ for our redemption and salvation during the same Christ-adventure. He came to us in his Son Jesus Christ, by which, we've been redeemed, and today he lives among us, within the power of the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of the Risen Christ himself, who died on the go for our salvation.
Implications for Our Secularized and Globalized Society
what's the significance of this our reflection on Christmas because the feast of the birth of "certainty" of God, revealed in Jesus Christ, for our society today? The odd things going on in the society, during which we reside and work nowadays, have made some individuals, who by way of all standard should still have frequent stronger, to show faith right into a company-like challenge, and as a component for economic enrichment and aggrandizement. The abuse of non secular vigor via some religious leaders, mainly, monks and pastors in the 'healing ministry', of which distress negative individuals are sometimes their victims, is a fine distraction to the people's religion and figuring out of the essence of religion and the fact of God revealed in Jesus Christ!
Some others, notably, our native intellectuals, as an alternative of challenging the corrupt and incompetent politicians at the seat of vigour as accountable for the mess and violence within the society and state, assault faith. Some of these intellectuals have even gone to the extent of calling for the taming of faith through the state. however they forget that religion is as victim of dangerous and corrupt leadership in the society as every thing else! as a result of, religion isn't the reason behind violence or ineptitude and incompetent management of the politicians.
in addition, you'll ask even if the identification of faith – or somewhat of Monotheism with violence and of modern man's close return to 'worship' of nature and 'polytheistic spirituality' with tolerance, holds as much as empirical scrutiny? background tells us of different information. trust, for instance, the persecutions the Jews endured due to their loyalty to the One-genuine God and Maker of all. The martyrdom of the scribe Eleazar and 7 brothers (2 Maccabees 6:18–7:42), is just one example. The equal applies to the persecutions of Christians under the Roman Empire right through the first three Christian centuries.
In our time, in different nations of the world, notably, in Africa and Asia, each yr hundreds of Christians testify with their lives to the fact that God's love is more advantageous than the world's hatred. they are the martyrs of the actuality, the certainty it truly is God himself and that's situated in him. As Gerhard Cardinal Müller tells us, "Whoever, within the face of the martyrs' struggling and dying, asserts that their monotheism [belief in the One-True God] and their confession of Christ is a supply of violence, demonstrates a level of thoughtlessness that holds americans in contempt." additionally, the very allegation that perception within the One-genuine God printed in Jesus Christ, implies a readiness to lodge to violence is in itself an expression of intellectual violence, which in some civilized societies, ends up in verbal aggression towards dedicated Christians.
once again, the identification of belief in one-authentic God with violence is not discovered lacking most effective when it comes to empirical verification. It also contradicts primary good judgment. Violence is the one instrument the reality cannot use to make itself identified. in any case, fact aims at knowing, which comes about most effective when the certainty is freely authorised by means of purpose. "for this reason, to aid somebody come to this knowing – to aid someone come to understand the actuality – one can not motel to violence but should somewhat make use of rational arguments that are seeking to influence. truth can be denounced as a supply of violence simplest if one apodictically asserts that relativism is the only suitable position that you possibly can take earlier than a fact it truly is eventually unknowable."
What all these suggest is that religion or fairly the actuality concerning the One-proper God published in Jesus Christ cannot be a supply of violence or anxiousness to the world or to any individual for that rely! 'it is somewhat the lie, inasmuch as it can't succeed by means of drive of argument, that necessarily gives start to violence or the possibility of it.' On properly of this, there could be the lure of worldly items to entice the believer to fall far from the real faith. for example, chatting with the ultimate of the Maccabean brothers, "the king appealed …, not with mere words, but with guarantees on oath, to make him prosperous and chuffed if he would abandon his ancestral customs: he would make him his friend and entrust him with high office" (Mac 7:24).
basically, this scene is significant to existing condition of things in our society, stricken by neo-feudalism, 'false democracy', dictatorship of the most powerful, and tyrannical regimes of highest order. The scene is about the tyrant's response to the faithfulness of a real Israelite: "The king fell into a rage, and dealt with him worse than the others, being exasperated at his scorn" (2 Mac 7:39). just as in later days, Jesus would now not threaten his tormentors but pray for them whereas putting on the pass, right here too we will appreciate the nonviolent fruit of every martyrdom: "So he died in his integrity, inserting his whole have confidence in the Lord" (2 Mac 7:40).
This scene reminds us about what brought about the fall of totalitarian regimes and ideologies that sustained such a regime. 'clever critics of totalitarian ideologies (such as George Orwell in "Animal Farm", Alexander Solzhenitsyn in "The Gulag Archipelago", or Eugene Kogon in "The SS State"), have traced the give way of extremely violent states, such as the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, to the lies on which they were constructed.' For these authors, in those programs, team spirit with participants of the equal category or ethnicity counted greater than fact and regard for our common humanity.
Erich Mielke, the minister for the state safety in the German Democratic republic who turned into liable for lots of of deaths at the Berlin Wall, faced critical questions within the first democratically elected parliament after the fall of the Iron Curtain. in quest of to make an apology for his misdeeds, he stammered: "however i love you all."
Commenting on this, Gerhard Cardinal Müller says, "both event and cause inform us that fact and love belong together and that certainty and freedom are twin ideas, whereas lies and hatred, ideology and violence, form an ominous alliance." for example, Israel's primordial experience of God's actuality is linked with its liberation from the power of Pharaoh. The individuals are freed with the aid of God, who makes a covenant with them. The God of Mount Sinai, who printed his truth by means of saying, "i'm who i am" (Exodus three:14), is also the God of Exodus, who liberates his people: "i am the LORD your God, who introduced you out of the land of Egypt, out of the residence of bondage" (Exodus 20.2).
In Jesus Christ, the One who made all human beings additionally need to retailer all human beings. "For there's one God, there is one mediator between God and men, the person Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:5-6). God is not the overpowering heavenly dictator who calls for blind obedience, however "our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to the expertise of the fact" (1 Timothy 2:4). And his apostles (and disciples) do not come as propagandists of a secular doctrine of salvation or vigour "in lofty phrases or knowledge" (1 Corinthians 2:1), but as "ministers of the note" (Luke 1.2), as his "witnesses … to the conclusion of the earth" (Acts 1:eight), as preachers and academics of the Gentiles in "faith and certainty" (1 Timothy 2:7).
this implies that the certainty of God in Christ and in his Church continues to be the basis and the supply of the love of God and neighbor, a love that's the fulfilment of the entire legislation.
Conclusion
In our society of nowadays, devastated by means of various types of artifical problems, and controlled via the potent and the rich, the best thing that the bad man holds on to continue to exist and hope for superior the following day and lifestyles everlasting, is God. it's his religion within the One actual-God, printed in Jesus Christ. put off God or religious religion from the commonplace-man, he is gone as a human person, a finite being, based completely on God for survival and dwelling.
here's why we should be cautious of anybody, theory or ideology that tries to discourage man from believing within the One true-God and in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the most effective mediator between God and man. faith or worship of 1 actual-God (Monotheism) is not the difficulty of the realm. It isn't the cause of social violence, either.
quite, human beings' manipulation of divisive features in subculture and religion to cause violence in the society is the problem, no longer religion, per se! as a consequence, it is man or woman that needs to be tamed, now not faith. as a result of to discredit or ban religion in the society by which we live, is to stop man from practicing and manifesting brazenly his faith in the certainty of Monotheistic God. This could be bad!
really, Plato was correct when he subordinated his reverence for Homer to the truth about God, and Aristotle applied this principle to Plato himself, his trainer. as a result of as Aristotle affirms, "Amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas" – Plato is a pal but truth is a enhanced buddy.
In our day, this aphorism of Aristotle on the supremacy of certainty of God, continues to be in force!
Merry Christmas, and prosperous New 12 months 2021!
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