David A. Wimsett's Perspectives

I just heard King Charles’ annual Christmas message. It was not broadcast from Buckingham palace. Rather, the king spoke from an interfaith chapel. He praised health care workers around the world for their contribution and sacrifice and of his personal experience with cancer. His majesty shared his concerns for wars in Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and the suffering of so many innocent people. His message was one of love, charity and tolerance for all as expressed in Christianity and every other faith on the planet. He talked about violence recently committed by a few in Great Britain against others and the response of so many who came together not to answer violence with violence, but to both rebuild structures and heal social wounds and relationships.

The speech was in contrast with despotic and vengeful leaders around the world who hold power over others, or are about to. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth leads to everyone being blind and toothless.

One thing His Majesty covered was how Jesus lived among the poor and ill, not the rich and powerful who could buy anything, including political influence. If we all lived with the principals King Charles spoke of that are found at the root of every religion; to care for one another, no longer embrace the desire to accumulate wealth beyond their needs, stop seeking power over others and end the exclusion of those outside their group, the horrors of war, hunger and poverty would end.

Yet, so many today seek power and wealth with no regard to the harm and suffering they cause. There are those who seek revenge on any who challenged them. So many who claim to be Christians forget the teachings of love and acceptance, and cherry pick passages in the old and new testaments to twist in an attempt to justify their lying and cheating to exclude any who are different as they seize power to gain wealth.

For those who call themselves Christians, consider the following on Christmas day.

If you embrace only commerce without compassion, remember how a rich man wanted to become one of Jesus’ disciples and Jesus told him to give away all his possessions to the poor and follow him. When the rich man turned and left, Jesus said, “It is easier for a rope to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” It is not that the rich are damned, it is they must worship through their souls, not their money.

For those who abuse others with different colors of skin or different beliefs, remember the story of the Jewish man who fell and lay unaided while none of the other influential people stopped to help, until a Samaritan, a member of a despised minority, helped the man stand, took him to his home and tended him until he was well. Charity extends to all, whether they are a part of your group or not.

For those who seek revenge on others who challenged or wronged them, recall the story of the woman accused of adultery who was brought before Jesus by a group of men who told him by law the woman must be stoned to death. Jesus looked at them and said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” One by one, the men left until Jesus was alone with the woman. He asked, “Where are your accusers?” The woman said they had left. Jesus said, “Then I do not accuse you either. Go and sin no more.” Forgiveness, not revenge and punishment, is at the heart of Christianity, though far too many forget this.

For those who tie politics to religion and say God has ordained certain actions and leaders, remember the time a group of men thought to trick Jesus when they asked if Jews should pay Roman taxes, thinking if he answered yes the other Jews would stop following him and if he answered no the Romans would arrest him. Instead, Jesus looked at a Roman coin and asked whose image was on it. When the men said Ceaser’s, Jesus said, “Render onto Ceaser what is Ceaser’s. Render onto God what is God’s.” No leader is ordained. There is a reason the framers of the Constitution of the United Sates of America added the first amendment to separate church from state.

Peace on Earth and good will to all is not exclusive to Christianity. These ideals are enshrined in religions around the world because all of them set social standards to care for each other and work together to achieve the good of society and each individual. Isolated, people spiral into greed, avarice, selfishness and self-loathing because they can never get what they truly desire, love from others.