more christmas walking ..

1 week to go ..

things're ramping up, aren't they  ?
the ads are bustin' loose
everybody vyin' for your money
sales and discounts and special offers
and the same ol' as last year, just in a diff colour
or striped instead of solid
heels are now 2" shorter = snub-nosed stillettos
and on and on ..

and you got a gift from aunt bertha today ..
crap ! din't have her on my list ..
.... . . . .    .

onceuponatime a long long time ago
a wise man was invited to a bigup party at a religious leader's house ..

he was quite an ordinary person, this wise man
only thing is he was getting people pretty upset by the things he said and did
he diss'ed the religious and their rules and regulations
and especially their hardheartedness, their utter lack of compassion
and their selfrighteousness ..
that really bothered him
and he let them know
sometimes to their faces

once, when he had been invited to a prominent pharisee's house for a meal
he did the unthinkable
again
and challenged them about healing on the sabbath ..
lesson 1
.. . .   .

then he told a pointed story to those who were invited when he noticed how they would choose the best places for themselves.
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t sit at the best place, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host, and the host may come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man’; and then, humiliated, you will have to move to a lower place.
"Instead sit in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ You will then be honored in the presence of the other guests.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
2nd lesson .. do not be significant in your own sight
rather be humble

He also said to the host, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors because they might invite you back and you would be repaid. 
On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, blind, and the like, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. 
You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
lesson 3 ..
...  .  ...      .

huh ..   ?
pardon me  ?
do what again   ?

i guess i can see the part about not trying to sit in a place of honour ..
but the rest of it .. you can't be serious ..
invite who ??

you know who my family are ??
really  ?
and my friends would seriously diss me
they would never speak to me again .. ever ! ..
you cannot be real ..
. .. .  .  ..

well he was being real
in fact he was all about real

thing is
we like to be seen and recognized and accepted and praised and honoured
that's us
even when we're trying to pretend not to ..... .. ... .

jesus, that wise man, didn't go in too much for that
he rather thought it was rather .. pompous and arrogant
like .. lying like

so he paints a picture of genuine
of being humble
associating with the ordinary
vulgar, it used to be called a long time ago

imagine it for a minute
you have a party on christmas eve or christmas day
you lay the table with goodies just like you would normally do at christmas
but instead of inviting your family and friends
   and neighbours and impressionista
you invite .. .  ...  .
the homeless
a couple shut-ins
some old folks from the ' home '
that new family that moved in down the street
   that noone wants to talk to because they're arabs
and you party with them
give them the goodies
give them gifts
and generally rock out with the deprived ..

hey
that's Jesus-style right there
that's hittin' it up his way
he just gets into that kinda thing big time
puts a huge smile on his face, kinda thing

you want to honour Jesus on his birthday ??
do that ..
put a smile on the faces of those people
bring some light and joy to their lives on Jesus' birthday
and you got Jesus a great gift
a wonderful gift

and he'll just be tickled by it
just thrilled
really

try it
you'll love it

i promise

peace