The Christmas Story:
Glad Tidings for All Creatures
by Rev. J.R. Hyland
During the holiday season, the Christmas manger scene is an important symbol for
those who believe that the birth of Jesus was the birth of their Savior. It also has
importance for those who are only culturally Christian but view the nativity scene as
another symbol that takes its place along with mistletoe, holly, and Santa Claus.
But the real significance of the story of an infant born in a stable is ignored by
believers as well as by non-believers. Although Christians give lip-service to the
doctrine that Jesus came to redeem all creation, most seem to think that "all
creation" means human beings. They hold to this chauvinistic belief in spite of the
biblical account that details the birth of Christ. They ignore the profound implications
of Luke's Gospel.
The birth of Jesus is a restatement of the creation story. In the original Genesis
account, animals were created first and human beings were set in their midst and given
responsibility for their well-being. But after the Fall in Eden, people began to abuse one
another and all other creatures. The entire earth was in need of redemption and the birth
of Christ heralded a new beginning. Christ was born in a stable. Like the first humans,
he, too, was born into a setting that already sheltered, and gave sustenance to, animals.
And the Gospel account continues this theme of human and animal relatedness when it tells
how an angel announced the birth of Jesus to men who were out in the fields, caring for
their animals.
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over
their flocks at night. An angel of the lord appeared to them. 'Do not be afraid...I bring
you good news...This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and
lying in a manger'"(Luke 2: 8-10,12).
So it was that those chosen to be the first to hear [and] know the good news of
the coming of Christ were men who cared for other creatures. The shepherds were the
nurturing caregivers who, in their time, were living in a way that most closely
approximated the peaceful accord between animals and men that God had ordained at the
creation.
The work of the shepherds who attended Jesus at his birth was the antithesis of
those whose work centered around the slaughter of animals on the altars at Jerusalem. And
Jesus, who was welcomed into the world by men who protected and cared for animals, never
participated in the sacrificial rites of the Temple. Neither did his disciples. Just as
the beginning of Judaism was marked by the rejection of human sacrifice in the time of
Abraham, so the beginning of Christianity was marked by the rejection of animal sacrifice
in the time of Jesus. This was the fulfillment of the call for religious reform that had
been given hundreds of years before, by the prophets of Israel.
Although the significance of the Christmas story is currently ignored by
Christians of all persuasions, the powerful symbols of infant and manger, animals and
shepherds, and peace on earth between all creatures, continue to be part of the ritual
observance of this holiday season. For those who care about animals and also believe in a
God who created life as we know it, the continued telling of this story can be seen as a
leaven that is gradually changing the hearts and minds of women and men who, in increasing
numbers, understand that God's care and concern extends to all beings, not just to the
human race.
And those who care about animals but do not believe in a Creator God--or in any
other deity--can take heart from the fact that the powerful symbols of human and animal
relatedness, incorporated in the Christmas story, continue to influence our culture. Like
all powerful symbols, they are a force affecting minds at the unconscious level. And as
the latent power of these symbols erupts into consciousness, they can become a force for
good.
So at this holiday season, let us each renew our hope. There are forces, seen and
unseen, that are working with us to bring about a world in which no creature will suffer
and die because of the greed and rapacity of the human race. There are forces, seen and
unseen, supporting those who have been called to be part of the spiritual evolution that
is manifesting itself among those who understand that care and compassion must be the
hallmark of our relationship with all God's creatures.
There are forces, seen and unseen, working to make the Peaceable Kingdom a
reality.
Copyright Humane Religion, 2000
HUMANE
RELIGION
