Christmas renews view of common humanity Published: Friday, - TopicsExpress

Christmas renews view of common humanity Published: Friday, December 26, 2014 There is a moral grandeur of the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ as enunciated in the Sermon on the Mount for it has not only regenerated a common humanity and promoted social solidarity, but is has inspired mankind to noble deeds of self-sacrifice, charity, compassion, integrity and service. This was the tenor of his teaching and message just over 2,000 years ago. Today, 2014, are we the manifestation of this great universal declaration? “Like Lord Krishna and Buddha, Jesus Christ did not preach a mere ethical or social gospel, but an uncompromisingly spiritual one. He declared that God can be seen, that divine perfection can be achieved,” writes Swami Prabhavananda. He continued: “In order that men might attain this supreme existence, he taught the renunciation of worldliness, the contemplation of God, and the purification of the heart through the love of God. These simple truths, stated repeatedly in the Sermon on the Mount, constitute its underlying theme…” The question is when would we feel the spirit of Christmas? Is it found in the shopping malls, bars or the market square? In fact, where are we mortals looking for it? Do we expect it to come from the pulpits or from the wayside preacher? To some, it might be so. But the answer remains incomplete until we get to know ourselves, and our real purpose on Planet Earth. Will there ever be goodwill to men? Will there ever be peace on earth? Will there ever be the spirit of love? Where there ever be truth, integrity and honesty? The negatives or the immorals of life continue to outstage the morals of life. What has caused this social, moral, ethical and spiritual decadence? Who engineered it? Why? What is the prescription to cure these ills? The hope is there for a cure but there must be an immediate embargo on all forms so terrorism, greed, waste, genocide, murders, corruption and the like. No amount of legislation will solve this. It must come from within. And this is within the competence of all of us. Most times, we speak of peace as an objective, but we seldom examine the ingredients of peace that comprise the moral and spiritual force of mankind. In the case of Christians, the underlying message of Christmas is found and circles around the Sermon on the Mount. Through it mankind’s hope for salvation may be realised for it is a monumental spiritual document of the most profound significance and importance. Now, we have the Sermon on the Mount and there is so many problems in the world. What would have happened without it? Probably mankind would still be living in a world where in the immortal words of Hobbes, where the life of man would be, “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.” We in T&T, because of our cosmopolitan makeup, can boast of sharing Christmas with each other. At Christmas, Hindus, Muslims and other religious denominations join with Hindus and Muslims in the observance of Divali and Eid. Likewise, Hindus and Muslims join hands with Christians and celebrate Christmas. It aims to promote inter-religious and inter-racial solidarity and points the way for the adoption of a policy on multiculturalism. German mystic, Angelus Silesius said: “Christ may be born a thousand times in Bethlehem, but if he is not born anew within your heart, you remain eternally forlorn.” The Sermon on the Mount is a counsel for perfection. It teaches that the real goal of human life is to unfold and manifest divinity. The world has another chance in 2014 to do just that. Let us embark on a spiritual programme to uplift ourselves and our societies through the reverence for life. Paras Ramoutar Caparo Letters Source:: Trinidad Guardian The post Christmas renews view of common humanity appeared first on Trinidad & Tobago Online. #trinidad