Christmas: A Birthday We Can All Celebrate

I read an item last week that carried an interesting angst. “Disappointed Church Member” wrote that her husband attended one church for 50 years and she had faithfully attended a church of a different denomination for 30 years. As the story goes, her husband was sick, her minister came to visit but refused to pray for his recovery explaining “she did not feel it was good church ethics to pray for a non member.’

At first, I was astonished. I wondered what Gospel this minister had been reading? Then I felt sad, sad for the lady and her husband; but also sad for the minister. It is incidents like this that give “religion” a bad name. This can hardly be the Christmas Spirit.

As I read the Gospels, I see a very different Jesus; a Jesus whose birthday is very much worth celebrating. There is a story in Mark’s Gospel (4:24-31) about Jesus going to Tyre “and he entered a house, and wanted no one to know it.” Perhaps Jesus wanted some R & R. He had been teaching and healing and feeding the 5000. Can you blame him for wanting to get away from it all!

So the secret leaked; “a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, on hearing of him, came in and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the devil out of her daughter.”

This gal had two strikes against her. She wasn’t Jewish; her religion wasn’t the correct religion. That has to be worse than being a Christian of the wrong denomination. Also, she was of a different race. It’s like a Pakistani Muslim asking a Christian for help. Jesus, in his humanity, struggled as we also have to struggle with our prejudice. Jesus says to her, “Let the children (of God) first have their fill, for it is not fair to take the children’s bread and cast it to (you) dogs.” Yes, Jesus was rude; he called the woman a dog!

However, this Gentile Syrophoenician woman, this heretic, foreign woman, recognized in Jesus a compassionate, merciful and loving person. She did not give up on Jesus. “Yes, Lord, for even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” This opened Jesus’ eyes; he saw things in a different light. Then “he said to her, Because of this answer, go your way; the devil has gone out of your daughter.

“And when she went to her house, she found the girl lying on the bed, and the devil gone.”

The people most put down are those of the wrong religion, wrong race, wrong sex. Jesus broke through the barriers of religion, race, sex and nationality. He criticized the temple priest and Pharisees of his own religion; he healed the Roman Centurion’s servant (possibly they were in a gay relationship); he healed the Gentile woman’s daughter; he ate with and taught women which was taboo.

Jesus reached across boundaries. He saw things differently and there was no one that he would not help.

To Jews and Muslims, Jesus is a great prophet; to the Buddhist, Jesus is a great Buddha; to Christians, he is the personification of the God of Love, Mercy and Compassion. His is a birthday we can all celebrate and an example we should all emulate.

We need to challenge and question our own prejudices and reach beyond them and have good will towards all. This is the Spirit of Christmas, a birthday we can all celebrate, if we follow Jesus’ example.

Arthur C. Donart, Ph. D.

Thomson, IL

Capitol Report

By Jim Sacia, State Representative, 89th District

Your response has been overwhelming - my question asking for your advice on how to vote on a soon to be crafted borrowing bill, exceeded my wildest expectations. With one exception, the hundreds of responses were thoughtful and very helpful. The vast majority – “don’t borrow”. If you must, insure there is a revenue stream to pay it back and insure that the money goes specifically to pay off our $6 billion overdue obligation. (I might point out - easier said than done.) I’ve seen too many dollars diverted. Illinois now has another dubious honor. We are number 1 in the nation for overdue obligations.

I want to give you a sense of what I see for the next several weeks. Keep in mind, this is what I anticipate - “The world according to Jim Sacia”. Is it cast in stone? Not at all, but the indicators are all there.

Our veto session is completed, but the Speaker has scheduled the house to be in session every day from January 3, 2011 through January 11, 2011. The new members and those of us re-elected will not be sworn in until January 12, 2011 – the 97th General Assembly. Prior to that the “lame duck” 96th General Assembly will be the decision makers. Of the 177 members of the house and senate, 25 will be leaving. It’s safe to say it’s easier to get them to vote for the difficult legislation.

I foresee a significant tax increase. I have told you I will never vote for one until we address our runaway debt and entitlements that are completely out of control. Many tell me I must vote for it and trust the fact that we will work toward eliminating those pesky entitlements and perceived fraud and waste. Remember the old joke “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you”- somehow it’s no longer an “old joke”.

I foresee a major gaming bill. It has already passed the senate – a land based casino in Chicago, additional positions at each of the nine river boats, and slot machines at our horse racing tracks. Whatever comes to the house will have major revisions before it is a finished product and if it passes, it will go back to the senate for them to concur. I support slot machines at our race tracks as the horse industry in Illinois desperately needs the revenue to provide acceptable purses to make the tracks competitive with other states. Beyond that, I have many misgivings. I will hear from many of you admonishing me for any gaming enhancement.

Our efforts are continuing with hearings on Workers Compensation. Illinois remains among the most expensive in the nation. The information learned from all of the different aspects of this issue should give us the ability to craft acceptable legislation that helps fix an overwhelming problem in Illinois

Once again my wish for a Blessed Holiday Season.