Seeing the Christ in Jesus, and in others – some thoughts for Christmas

I am like a big kid at Christmas. I love singing Christmas carols and I love having a houseful of guests for Christmas day. I also love the Christmas story, though of course, many Unitarians (me included) generally choose not look too closely at the details, but rather enter into the general spirit of the season.

However, I was challenged recently to consider the details when a friend asked me what I believe about Jesus. It would seem that Christmas is an ideal time to answer such a question!

So, in religious terms, what do I as a Unitarian (with Christian leanings and a few grey areas!) celebrate at Christmas?

Well, let me start with the controversial bit…

I would say it is entirely possible to acknowledge the divinity of Jesus AND be a Unitarian. I would not feel uncomfortable calling Jesus divine.  

The reason? Well, whilst I can relate to God as spirit, love, power etc a lot of the time, there are other times when I need to give the nature of God a human face. Sensing or reasoning sometimes isn't enough. There are times when spirituality becomes too abstract for me and that's when I return to Jesus of Nazareth because in him I see something of God.  

Now, I fully acknowledge that when I look at Jesus I am not, in fact, seeing God, I am seeing a reflection of God - perhaps a perfect reflection – and in this sense I see Jesus as divine.  

What I deny is the DEITY of Jesus. I don’t believe Jesus is God. This is why, among other reasons, I’m a Unitarian.  

But in Jesus I see the Christ, the anointed, the chosen.  

When I say that I mean that there is a distinction between the human Jesus and the Christ (which is another thing which makes me a heretic in orthodox Christian terms).  

How do I do this? Well, by saying that Jesus is the man and Christ is who he was called to be. Jesus is the human, Christ is the divine calling and promise that worked within him - and in Jesus these two things, for me, seem inseparable.  

I prefer to think of him as Christ Jesus, rather than Jesus Christ. To call him Christ Jesus keeps me open to the idea that there are others who have exemplified the Christ; that God reveals her/himself in many great teachers appropriate to different cultures and religions.  

I hope that others can see a little of the Christ in me – a calling, an anointing - and I try to see the Christ in others; which is another way of saying 'see the divine in everyone' or 'affirming the worth and dignity of all'.  

In Jesus I see someone who so fully opened himself to his calling that I cannot see where the human ends and the Christ (the calling, the anointing) starts - yet he remained fully human. I see him as a human chosen to reveal God.  

He is my saviour in that he shows me the right way to live, a way to see the world, he teaches me to love other people, and he teaches me that some things are worth dying for.  

I try to follow the teachings of the man Jesus and I honour the Christ (the calling, the anointing) that was in Jesus - but I do not worship either, because worship is addressed to God alone. Jesus is my way-shower and points me to God.

 Now that I have spent an hour or two in serious contemplation I can go back to present wrapping, humming Christmas carols and being that big kid who is excited about waking up on Christmas day…  

And that’s the great thing: Christmas works on so many levels: for those that want it there are endless theological debates to be had about the nature of Jesus. For the rest of us, there are carols to sing, loved ones to see, mince pies to eat and celebrating in a way that warms our hearts and lights up our lives during the coldest and darkest part of the year.  

But Christmas doesn’t always bring out the best in people…. 

This last Monday evening at 9pm I had the bright idea of going up to the supermarket a few last minute items. When I say it was a bright idea I actually mean it was a very bad idea – because everyone within 20 miles of me seemed to be doing exactly the same thing! 

I don’t think I’d ever seen the place so full! 

Christmas music was blasting out – which didn’t seem to be helping anyone’s mood…. And the queues for the checkout were massive, despite frequent tannoy announcements assuring us that they had got every available trained till operator working! 

Before venturing too far into the store I assessed the size of the queues and I realised I would be safe if I used the 10 items or less queue which didn’t seem to be very long at all…. 

So I abandoned my trolley in favour of a basket and went to chose the 10 items which I most needed – and made my way to the checkout…. 

Imagine my surprise I noticed that the person in the queue in front of me had not got 10…. But 20 items in his basket! 

Being the charitable person I am I didn’t say anything…. But the rather stressed looking assistant at the till was obviously feeling less charitable…. 

“You’ve got too many items!” she said… 

The customer’s reply? (and I think this was a master stroke) 

“I’ve got 20 items – that’s 2 lots of 10….. so ring up 10 items and I’ll pay for them and then you can ring up the other 10 items and then I’ll pay for those!” 

Now I admire the man’s thinking, but I realised then and there that he had managed to illustrate my Christmas sermon perfectly…. 

What can we learn from this man? 

Well, quite simply: just because you have more, it doesn’t entitle you to push those aside who have less……having more doesn’t mean you have a guaranteed place at the front of the queue! And swapping things around to hide the fact that you’ve got more whilst others have less is a bit dishonest…. 

…. And that goes to the very heart of what Jesus of Nazareth taught…. 

He taught that in God’s kingdom things are very different: 

That love is the most important thing….  

And that you cannot say you love God whilst ignoring the plight of those in need.

He taught that God’s ways are different: in God’s order of things, those who have the most are often at the back of the queue…. 

The last shall be first, and the first shall be last…. 

And he taught that the greatest love you can have is to lay down your life for your friends…. 

And I’m pretty sure that if we had all followed the advice of that 1st century Rabbi Jesus, the world wouldn’t be in the financial mess it is now! 

And down the centuries comes the story once again…. The story of a man whose life and teachings would change the world…. 

A baby born in a barn because everyone else had got to the front of the queue and there was no place him and his parents in the inn…

Let us remember that we are celebrating the birth of one who was one of us. Who understood what it was like to be human and who left us an example so great that it has survived 2000 years.

I pray that you will have a happy and blessed Christmas….

And in 2 days time, when the supermarket re-opens….

I’m sure you won’t be but IF you’re tempted to jump the queue…

Remember that even queues have something to teach us: let’s just be glad that we can afford more than 10 items….

That we have houses to live in, food in our bellies….people to love, and people who love us back!

Happy Christmas!