For Christians as the story goes, GOD in his supreme compassion for us, sent his "only begotten son" down into this world and humanity to be born in a small, obscure and impoverished part of a suffering nation. His parents weren't all that lucky either. Just an ordinary couple who didn't have much going for them; his father Yosef, a middle-aged carpenter and woodworker who worked with his hands and had a simple disposition in life. His mother was Miriam, a young girl barely out of her teens. Nothing set them up to be remarkable or different from the thousands of other poor families in rural Israel at that time.
Then comes the interesting or bewildering part of HOW he was born. As Robert Fulghum imaginatively narrated in one of his books, could you just imagine yourself in Yosef's shoes after hearing for the first time about certain upcoming events from your soon-to-be wife:
Miriam: Yosef, I'm pregnant. . .
Yosef: YOU'RE WHAAAT?!
Miriam: He's going to be GOD'S son. . .
Yosef: SO IT'S NOT MY SON BUT WHOSE???
(Thinks and after a brief pause)
Yosef: OK AND YOU'RE SAYING YOU WERE TOLD ALL OF THIS BY WHOM?!??
Miriam: An Angel named Gabriel told me this. Isn't it exciting?
ROFL!!! It's got a hint of John and Marsha comedy doesn't it? Guess what though, things turned out well in the end. The child grew-up and 2,000 years later, he is looked upon with reverence and faith by followers world-wide numbering more than a billion.
So just in case we forget, it's NOT about this guy who's being pushed by big business' commercialism and the media -
Two words: liposuction and exercise. Is he legally entering countries with a valid passport? Is he following labor policies and the rights of the elves he's employing to make all those toys? Does he have the proper permits to own flying reindeer which maybe endangered? You expect me to believe that red sack of his contains only toys?!Hmmmm. I smell a terrorist!
It's also NOT about this -
Frankly, if we had trees like that here in our country, turning it into firewood or panggatong would be better instead. Also, we wouldn't have to feel obliged to put gifts under there to satisfy childhood greed or try to keep-up or compete with the neighbors for better-looking decorations.We do have our own, uniquely Pinoy symbol of the season after all -
Cheap, stimulates creativity, traditional, cost-effective, environment friendly. O di ba mas OK?Ultimately, it's about a certain birth that happened a long time ago that changed everything.
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