It's just a start, I've been thinking about painting St Nicholas for a long time. After a trip to the Library to research the real Santa Clause, there I discover Saint Nicholas born in Turkey around 280 AD. Nicholas parents died of the plague and he inherited great wealth, so he vowed to help people in need. St Nick is a fascinating saint and is venerated still; his legend has morphed into the modern day Santa Claus. This icon is becoming a cross between the olden day saint with the big head and fastidious beard and our modern day Santa with the white beard and the twinkling eyes. He is standing in a niche surrounded with holly representing Christ’s thorny crown and the holly berries symbolizing his blood, with ivy twining around the holly representing female divinity. Christmas time and our holiday traditions are also entwined with the pagans and early Christianity the birth of Christ and the coming of winter. Our beliefs, traditions symbolic of who we are and how we define ourselves, they help us connect with our history and each other. So we have our tinsel, mistletoe, wassail, trees, exchange gifts and even if we don't know why we do these things it still makes sense somewhere in our collective psyches.
While writing this some religious fanatical Christian sect is on my television; picketing funerals, and other disasters with HATE signs saying “God Hates You” and singing “God Hates America” telling us we are sinners; we caused 911 and the detestation in New Orleans, because we are unrepentant sinners we are going to burn in Hell. Oh MY GOD! Will someone please tell me how this is different from a Muslim terrorist who blows himself up for his go at paradise with 19 virgins??? OK, the terrorists are murders, but you get my point. My God loves me in spite of my imperfections and I believe God loves the world and the people in the world. Does that make me a blasphemer? I hope.
Please dear earth family let’s enter this holiday season with love and acceptance of our brothers and sisters a prayer for peace, a generous heart and a belief that miracles are still possible this insane world.
St Nicholas loved the Beatitudes so I will read them before bed tonight and try to get those nasty hateful people out of my thoughts.
Goodnight cruel er dear world
Let it be so and amen
3 comments:
AMEN to THAT!!!!!!!!! I am appalled at so called "Christians" acting like that. They have "worked" the bible into their own agenda and I have no respect for that. My God is also loving to ALL, not just to certain people who go to certain churches, he is forgiving and understanding.
That is one of the reasons I shy away from organized religion. It is organized for someone, not God's agendas.
xxpatti
Yes,it's their own agenda.
I personally like the book: Sermon on the Mount by Emmet Fox. He askes "what did Jesus teach?"
Hatred ceases not with hatred.
Why does everyone forget this principal?
Oh Don't get me started.
Judy
amen sister.
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