By Rev. LeRoy E. Zemke
Pastor, Temple of the Living God

"The people who were gathered at the Jordan when Jesus was baptized saw him as he emerged from the waters. He was tall, seven spans high; and his wavy hair that had never been touched by shears was of the color of wine, golden at the root, and glossy, parted in the middle of the head after the manner of the Nazarites, and curled at the ends. His forehead was even and serene, and his face was without blemish, beautiful with slight blush of the fair skin browned in the sun. His nose and mouth were without fault. His reddish beard was not long but abundant; and like the hair of his head, it was forked. His brown eyes were bright and sparkling, and reflected the moods of one who had often been in tears but never seen in laughter. And when he raised his hands, adding to the loftiness of his stature, the people saw that they were beautiful to look upon."
taken from The Lore of the New Testament by Joseph Gaer

The priest Lamaas loved the boy Jesus the moment he came into the temple; and Jesus liked Lamaas above all the others in Jagannath. They often walked together in the temple grounds, discoursing on many matters. Once Lamaas asked the young Jesus: "What is truth?" "In all the world there are two things: one is truth; the other falsehood. Truth is that which is and changes not; falsehood is that which seems to be, yet never seems the same. Truth abides; falsehood perishes." "You answer well, my Jewish master," said the graying priest to the young boy. "Now, tell me, what is man?" "Man," said Jesus, "is truth and falsehood strangely mixed. And they strive in him." "Man strives to attain power," said Lamaas. "What do you say of power?" "Power," said Jesus, "is an illusion and nothing more. It is to be seen in the winds of the air and the waves of the sea and the arm of man. It spends itself and is no more. He who understands, understands the difference between power and force which is the Will of God." "Wherefrom then comes understanding?" asked the priest. "Understanding is the knowledge which can determine between truth and falsehood." "How does wisdom differ from understanding?" asked Lamaas. "Wisdom is the consciousness that God and man are one; that power is but an illusion; that heaven and earth and hell are not above or below, but within; and that God is all." "Then what of faith?" asked the old man. "Faith is the bridge that reaches from the heart of man to the heart of God. And that is salvation." And so they discovered; Lamaas questioning Jesus to gain from him greater wisdom; and Jesus questioning the priest to learn of the beliefs of the people of Orissa.
taken from The Lore of the New Testament by Joseph Gaer

The abiding message of the Festival of Christmas, often called the Festival of Light, is inextricably wrapped with the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, who became known as the Christ.

All of Christendom across the centuries and everywhere the teachings of Christianity are known, taught and accepted, the incredible truly inexplicable mystery of the story of Jesus remains central to his compelling influence.

As historians of nearly every level of investigative and exhaustive kill, to erudite theologians and scholarly academicians write, rewrite and reinterpret the life of Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14) - his influence has remained vibrant, vital and viable in a constantly changing landscape of new and old religious and spiritual teachings. His teachings are now finding new audiences in the west and elsewhere in the world.

Whether we will ever know the man Jesus and or even be able to separate the historical data from the overlaid centuries of interpretation is probably highly unlikely. There is no genuine agreement about his physical appearance let alone the circumstances of his reported virgin birth. Academic scholars of all persuasions within the Christian world cannot agree on the actual date of his birth, let alone the birth place attributed as Bethlehem in the Bible. Where he lived, how he grew up and became as learned as he is revealed in Scripture, is the subject of endless speculation and elaborate constructs.

Yet, some two thousand years later, following wars based on religious intolerance, the scandals that plagued the early church fathers, including the medieval papacy, as well as the persecution of infidels (as they were called) the Christian Church has survived. And all because of a Jewish man who taught a profoundly simple, deeply spiritual philosophy.

1. Love God with all your heart, soul and being; lean not on your (intellectual) understanding regarding this teaching.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself. This embraces all the laws and the prophets.

In the 21st century we struggle still to accept all men and all women as children of God. That all people the world over are a necessary vital part of a indescribably ineffable gargantuan Divine family, tests the mettle of mighty men and far flung nations around our planet. We cannot yet accept races and colors and different creeds without analyzing and categorizing and grouping those that are acceptable and those who somehow are deemed evil or not part of this Divine family. Yet Jesus is reported to have said, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Perhaps the great work that yet stretches before us is to be reminded, again and again that the teachings of Jesus and other awakened souls taught forgiveness, acceptance, humility and compassion for the entire human family.

When Jesus was crucified and soldiers were bargaining for his clothes, the thieves that hung with him taunted him to save them and himself. And what did his very soul, the Christ within, say to them? "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." "Forgive them..., forgive them, forgive them...!!!

The exaltation of the Christmas season with its focus both external and internal is ever a call to remind us that love is always possible amidst the worldly trappings of tinsel, decorated trees and towering displays of wealth that speak to our human attachments for power and ego recognition.

Chapels and grottos and the huge creative bursts of color and dance, song and celebration in churches and cathedrals invite us to pause again, to look again, at the message of Jesus whose message was simply, "love one another, love God above all."

Every year we stand in the echo of the angel's songs, the hushed and breathless voices of the children of Christendom in churches,temples and sacred spaces, in the presence of mighty men and the poor, downtrodden and lowly of heart and spirit to be reminded of One Voice who calls to us across the centuries. Let us love one another, brother, sister, young and old alike as we remember, deeply remember, that there is a power we can share together to love God, to love and accept one another not because we must, but because we can. It is through love that we will, in actuality, get to bring about the ways of peace in our world.

The season of Christmas will pass into memory and the wise men of ancient Persia will return to their contemplations. The shepherds will guard their flocks by day and night and we willagain, individually, pick up the subtle and vibrant threads of our lives.

And how will our lives be different because of Christmas, or more to the point, the message of Jesus?

I might offer that each time we stop amongst those of our family and/or friendship circle or those who simply touch our lives or revisit the hearts and hearths of those we know and those we may come to love, we will remember to respect them, to honor them in midst of pain or in their shining moments of power, or exultation.

As we see the world around us filled with endless doubt and despair because life hands out its ceaseless experience that reflect the fear and failure of untold numbers of people in situations and governments, we can pause to remember that there is a Divine power that undergirds us... and all mankind. This is the message Jesusso earnestly taught us.

Jesus taught us to turn our attention to our "Heavenly Father" when he taught us the often sung and spoken Lord's Prayer (Matt 6: 9 - 13) After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen

When we turn to our Heavenly Father/Mother, Source of All Life, we begin to see differently. We see men, women and children alike slowly discovering that we each carry a hidden light and that that light is growing, glowing and being revealed even in the darkened corners of the human world.

So, let us join in the ever on-going celebration of Jesus in our lives as a God revealed, awakened being. He as called the Son of God and he taught us that we too are sons and daughters of the One God. His life, and certainly the central theme to his life, was that we can grow to be like unto him.

We have an example set before us. It is for us to personally and individually accept that it is possible and that he and that which survives some 2000 years later as his message is ever there for us to become more conscious of the inner connection we each have and truly seek to uncover!