Every year for the last 20 it seems there has been a conversation about a "war on Christmas". My liberal friends think my Christian friends are crazy, and my Christian friends think the Libs are going to hell...I think they are both combatants against the holiday and to a large effect toward religion as a whole.
You see, the war on Christmas isn't about saying Happy Holiday v. Merry Christmas. I usually great groups with a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday! Why because it is my holiday and likely theirs as well. It might not be Christmas they celebrate, but we are often celebrating the same thing, the coming of Christ. The coming of a savior.
The war on Christmas, is not when stores say HOLIDAY SALE. In fact I prefer Holiday sales because Christmas sales commercialize the day. While we are on the topic, XMass isn't part of the war on Christmas either. X is for the Greek "Chi" the first letter of the Greek word for CHRIST. Mas is the latin word for Mass. Go figure, we have been using the X to signify Christ (abbreviate the word) since the 10th Century. Go Figure. So if you are looking to make a big deal out of something, could you actually have something that has no historical significance??? How about you actually look at a historical document once in a while?
So where is the war? Well the last paragraph is a good find for it. The War on Christmas, is in the idiots who make the garbage up just to have the fight.
For example: The School on Long Island that changed the words to Silent Night so that it ignores the religious foundation of the song. Really? The did it so as to not offend others. If you do not want to offend others, don't do the song. Why however would anyone be offended. (I mean anyone with a mind?)
Of course I grew up in a community where Christians were in a minority. Jewish neighbors were outraged when we performed a Winter concert where non secular music was featured. We sang age appropriate songs and we learned the music. Catholics new the religious significance of the Christian music, but not of the Jewish music (what's a dreidel?) The opposite was true as well. in order to sing the music with feeling, the stories of the music were related by the kids to each other like a book report. WOW did we learn a bunch of stuff. I learned about the oils that never ran out. The Jewish kids learned why the eve of Christmas was so important. We learned our religions were alike in many ways. We also learned that many parents were idiots and bigots. They would not let their children sing the Christian songs or say the words Jesus or Christ. Some wanted their children to quit the choir. Talk about closed minded. The few Catholic kids in the choir felt terrible for our friends. We felt embarrassed about our songs being bad for our friends, we were angry too because these were songs we loved. Some Catholic parents thought about a tic for tac response. It was very uncomfortable. Our parish Priest called the Rabbi. These two men of God, were completely flummoxed. What were these parents talking about?
We learned that the parents that began this stuff were not "regularly" attending religious services. We learned that both religious leaders understood the importance of religious music in teaching music to others and that most if not all of the greatest classical music was religious based. I also learned that our Priest and the Rabbi got together regularly were friends and that the Rabbi liked classical music especially Vivaldi!!
What was so important was that while we got protective about our "turf"s the parents of our community lost the actual meaning of the holidays. We were all waiting for the same thing. We were waiting for the coming of the Christ. For our Jewish friends, it was a Coming, for the Catholics it was a Second coming, but our religions wanted the same thing. They wanted Salvation.
I wondered how my Jewish friends dealt with the fact that "Santa" wasn't going to visit them. My father explained that pretty well. My dad embodied the spirit of Christmas. He told me that Santa was not a person, he was a spirit. Like the Holy Ghost (I don't think he agreed with the whole Holy Spirit thing but that is a story for another day) Santa came to us because we believed in him. The Holy Spirit came to the Jews when their fuel held out for eight days and in honor of that miracle our Jewish friends gave gifts to their loved ones like the gift God had given their ancestors. Dad would have hated all this war on Christmas talk. He would have been disappointed that someone would think to say Santa was white, or that Christians would be so hostile to others enjoying the Gifts of the season. Dad would do all kinds of things from great decorations to very private giving. I learned that the left hand should never tell the right hand what it was doing. I learned that being a Secret Santa was far more fun than getting credit for what you do. I learned that God loved me, and that He would forgive me, and that the Love of a Father ran very very deep. I learned that when one fought about things like Christmas that they denigrated the meaning of the word.
So Hannity, Fox, MSNBC, O'Reilly, the ACLU and the atheists are all in a war that doesn't matter. Christmas does not live in their debate or in the word Christmas or even in the Cress on the Village Green. It lives in our hearts. It lives in the stories we tell each other, the memories of family, the spirit of hope. When you are fighting about it, you show you don't understand it.
Today is my Dad's birthday. He was named for our Savior. Salvatore means savior in Italian, He would have been 81 today, but I lost him 13+ years ago. But he lives. Especially during this season. I miss him everyday, but I think of him everyday too, and that helps me to miss him less. I share his wisdom with you, so that you may share it with others. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all, and to you Dad, Happy Birthday in Heaven. I love you.
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas: A Dad Fable
Every writer, blogger, priest and politician hopes to come up with something profound to write tonight. Something that will help people take the spirit of the birth of the Christ child into the new year, and make this spirit part of their daily lives.
The truth is, Christmas is special because it is hard to live this way everyday. Imagine however if we did.
Imagine if you can, a world where we see the other guys point of view, and he saw ours. Imagine a world, where we made it our business not to close our eyes at night until we made a positive difference in someones life that day. Imagine a life, were those that did the most for others, were the ones who attained the riches, where those that gave the most, not those that took the most,received the most.
My dad used to tell us a story about a poor man who walked onto a big estate. The Master's house had been empty for many years as the Master had been away fighting wars for the emperor, others rented from him their homes, but since the Master had been away, no one had collected the rents.
As the old man approached the first home on the estate, a terrible snowstorm whipped about him. The man was dressed as a rag man, he looked tired, old, and poor. He came to a house of a woman and he asked her for a loaf of bread. She looked at the bread in her home and said to herself, "I have a loaf, but if I give him my whole loaf I will go hungry." She returned with a two slices and said, "I have one loaf but if I give it all to you, I will have nothing." The traveler thanked her but refused her "hospitality".
At the next house he again came to the door. There was a party going on inside. He asked for a loaf of bread and again explained he had come far and had not eaten, but the hostess who had more than five loaves of bread brought only a few slices back and said, "I have five loaves of Bread, but I am having a party and I can't take a chance I will run out."
He again thanked her, and went on his way. He walked from home to home on the estate, and all he was ever offered was but a slice or two from the loaves that were available.
At the last house he came to, he notice that it was a clean home, but it was clear that the residents were of modest means. When he knocked on the door, the woman of the house opened the door and inside the home there was a house full of children and a Christmas tree inside. There were stockings by the fireplace. A tired man sat at the head of the table. The old man made his request of the woman. She asked him into the home. Then she took the only loaf of bread that she had, and gave it to the old man. She gave him the rest of the food in her cupboard, and at the end of the meal, the old man and the head of the household shared the last of the wine.
The old man stood, and as he was about to take his leave he asked of the woman and man, why they had been so generous. They had given him the last of all they had. The man said,
The old man looked around and smiled. He thanked the man and woman for their hospitality, and patted each child, and took his leave.
The next day, the ells at the Master's house rang out. He had returned from the war and all who lived on the estate were to come to him. They all came wearing their best clothes and bringing food and gifts.
The Master looked out upon them. He was tall and regal. He was clean shaven and well dressed. He thanked them for their gifts and then said to the couple who had all the children "Where are your gifts?" The father spoke up, "Our gifts sire, are our children. We are here to till your fields and work in your home. we cannot afford presents."
The Master asked why they had not brought any food to the feast and the father told the Master about the visitor the night before. "I have not had the chance to get more food nor has my wife had a chance to bake more bread."
The Master then smiled. He looked at the residents of his estate and said
The other residents gasped in the realization that the beggar man from the night before had been the Master of the Estate. "Master" they all said if we knew that it were you, we would have given you all we had too."
He roared out at them "You know not when the Master will come! You should treat all as if they were your Master.Then you will not have to worry that you did not recognize me!!"
The master continued:
"I am leaving to return to the lands that I have conquered for our emperor. I have been made Governor, and I will have an estate there twice as big as this one. I have decided to give this estate to one of you to collect the rents and to do what he will with the land and its bounty. I have chosen to give the land of my Estate, to the people who took in a stranger last night, and with the last bit of food and drink that they had, provided for him."
And with that the poor man and his wife became the owners of the estate, and never wanted for anything again.
Imagine if we constantly remembered that God is always around us, and that when we act charitably towards another in his flock , He sets a place at his table, and provides an estate for us in Heaven. Imagine what the world would be like if we all remembered my Dad's fable.
Merry Christmas to all of you, and a Happy and Healthy New Year too.
Tony"That Lawyer Dude" Colleluori and Family.
The truth is, Christmas is special because it is hard to live this way everyday. Imagine however if we did.
Imagine if you can, a world where we see the other guys point of view, and he saw ours. Imagine a world, where we made it our business not to close our eyes at night until we made a positive difference in someones life that day. Imagine a life, were those that did the most for others, were the ones who attained the riches, where those that gave the most, not those that took the most,received the most.
My dad used to tell us a story about a poor man who walked onto a big estate. The Master's house had been empty for many years as the Master had been away fighting wars for the emperor, others rented from him their homes, but since the Master had been away, no one had collected the rents.
As the old man approached the first home on the estate, a terrible snowstorm whipped about him. The man was dressed as a rag man, he looked tired, old, and poor. He came to a house of a woman and he asked her for a loaf of bread. She looked at the bread in her home and said to herself, "I have a loaf, but if I give him my whole loaf I will go hungry." She returned with a two slices and said, "I have one loaf but if I give it all to you, I will have nothing." The traveler thanked her but refused her "hospitality".
At the next house he again came to the door. There was a party going on inside. He asked for a loaf of bread and again explained he had come far and had not eaten, but the hostess who had more than five loaves of bread brought only a few slices back and said, "I have five loaves of Bread, but I am having a party and I can't take a chance I will run out."
He again thanked her, and went on his way. He walked from home to home on the estate, and all he was ever offered was but a slice or two from the loaves that were available.
At the last house he came to, he notice that it was a clean home, but it was clear that the residents were of modest means. When he knocked on the door, the woman of the house opened the door and inside the home there was a house full of children and a Christmas tree inside. There were stockings by the fireplace. A tired man sat at the head of the table. The old man made his request of the woman. She asked him into the home. Then she took the only loaf of bread that she had, and gave it to the old man. She gave him the rest of the food in her cupboard, and at the end of the meal, the old man and the head of the household shared the last of the wine.
The old man stood, and as he was about to take his leave he asked of the woman and man, why they had been so generous. They had given him the last of all they had. The man said,
"You are wrong. We have plenty. We have 5 strong sons and 3 beautiful daughters. All of them, my wife and I are healthy. We have a generous landlord who while he has been away at war, has allowed us to remain on his estate rent free. Finally we have faith that tomorrow, when we are hungry, God will provide us with an opportunity to fill our stomachs. We do not have a lot of material things. But what we have, all of the money in the world cannot buy. We are the richest family on this estate."
The old man looked around and smiled. He thanked the man and woman for their hospitality, and patted each child, and took his leave.
The next day, the ells at the Master's house rang out. He had returned from the war and all who lived on the estate were to come to him. They all came wearing their best clothes and bringing food and gifts.
The Master looked out upon them. He was tall and regal. He was clean shaven and well dressed. He thanked them for their gifts and then said to the couple who had all the children "Where are your gifts?" The father spoke up, "Our gifts sire, are our children. We are here to till your fields and work in your home. we cannot afford presents."
The Master asked why they had not brought any food to the feast and the father told the Master about the visitor the night before. "I have not had the chance to get more food nor has my wife had a chance to bake more bread."
The Master then smiled. He looked at the residents of his estate and said
"This man and woman, fed me last night when I was hungry. They sheltered me from the storm. They gave me their last drop of wine. You all had more than they, you all have partaken of my hospitality, yet when I was hungry, you gave me crumbs from your table. These people, though they only had crumbs, shared them with me. They did not know when I would be coming, yet they treat everyone as if they were I."
The other residents gasped in the realization that the beggar man from the night before had been the Master of the Estate. "Master" they all said if we knew that it were you, we would have given you all we had too."
He roared out at them "You know not when the Master will come! You should treat all as if they were your Master.Then you will not have to worry that you did not recognize me!!"
The master continued:
"I am leaving to return to the lands that I have conquered for our emperor. I have been made Governor, and I will have an estate there twice as big as this one. I have decided to give this estate to one of you to collect the rents and to do what he will with the land and its bounty. I have chosen to give the land of my Estate, to the people who took in a stranger last night, and with the last bit of food and drink that they had, provided for him."
And with that the poor man and his wife became the owners of the estate, and never wanted for anything again.
Imagine if we constantly remembered that God is always around us, and that when we act charitably towards another in his flock , He sets a place at his table, and provides an estate for us in Heaven. Imagine what the world would be like if we all remembered my Dad's fable.
Merry Christmas to all of you, and a Happy and Healthy New Year too.
Tony"That Lawyer Dude" Colleluori and Family.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Some Fun on the Blogosphere: Kicking Back
Photo courtesy of The Perrysteins (Congratulations on the Baby!!)
This has not been a relaxing start to the Christmas season. Today was the first Sunday of Advent and I am not thinking Christmas Music. I am thinking death, destruction and doom. Hence it is time to change the Music in my head. Here are my favorite pick me up posts from this week.
Speaking of Music this post teaches you how to pimp out Pandora which is a pretty neat music site. Entitled 15 ways to get more out of Pandora. The writer saves a little surprise for you if you read the article to the end.
Staying on lists I thought these two posts were interesting:
A. This one has 8 hints on how to be a better blog writer. I will do my best to follow each of these tips. Hattip Copyblogger.com
B. This Post gives you a list of things you need to know to map out a successful marketing strategy. I think this one is not meant for guys like me, but it has a few ideas if you are marketing against another firm. I try to stay above that and market with less focus. Maybe I ought to rethink that. Hattip: the Rainmaker Institute
Here is bonus list:
From Matt Homman comes the list of Ten Rules of Legal Technology. Remember this you techie lawyers. There is some sage advice in these rules
Hattip: The Billable hour, which is where these rules actually came from. To the Person or people who write that Paralegal Prof site, learn to attribute. It is one thing to link or even republish, it is a whole other thing to Plagiarize!
Ok, moving right along, Blawgger extraordinaire Robert Ambrogi's Lawsites blog has the Top Ten List of ESSENTIAL PODCASTS FOR LAWYERS. I know that Robert's podcast Lawyer2Lawyer is always a very interesting show and he also acknowledges Monica Bay's Law Tech Now and the ABA Litigation Sections podcast as well. I have an Apple Ipod. Time to start downloading.
Hattip: Robert Ambrogi's Legal Lines
My last list post is my favorite list. It is the Fifty Things You Need To Know How To Do. The post names the 50 things and then links you to websites that explain how to do them. I already know how to do 20 solid and 10 more I am more than familiar with, however I could brush up. See how many you know and see if you think there is anything that should be added to the list. Let me know how you did. Hattip Marc and Angel Hack Life
Updated to reflect Matt Homman and the Non-Billable Hour blog as the true author of the 10 Rules of Legal Technology. Sorry Matt, Thanks for letting me know.
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