Holidays

I went to a Christmas performance at the Scottsdale Bible Church which was truly uplifting and fun.  It has been a long tie since I have participated in a church service.  For people who go to church regularly each and every Sunday the experience is always spiritually rewarding but for those of us who seldom go we seem to think that we have not missed much.  The reason for that thinking is both because the message is always the same and unchanging...love God first, and then love your neighbor as yourself.  Done and told in many ways in many different places...The message is the same...the learning and internal believing leaves much to be desired for it seems to evaporate as soon as one exits the door.

Hey. Each one of is guilty of "hating" something in our neighbor...the neighbor who abuses his child, or the little boy who maliciously hurts an animal, the step-father who murdered his girlfriend's daughter and threw her body into a dumpster...who can blame any of us for hating these neighbors?

Church goers think that if they only had Jesus in their life instead of alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine, or heroin they might not have done it.  So most Christians try to convert the sinner to a life of doing good instead of evil.  But the news tells of all the evil that is done in the world instead of all the good...None of us hear about the kid who devotedly travels with his invalid mother on a bus, and helps her to move around shopping centers, or the old man who cheerfully kisses and hugs the old lady who is sitting in a wheel chair hoping for attention...  But these scenes happen too.  They just pass before us, seemingly unnoticed.

So it was fun to see children attend a performance that was both fun and enjoyable, telling the story of the birth of Christ finally as the conclusion to an evening of talent and inspiration.  It was all good theatre, free, and even had good hot chocolate at intermission.   Free cookies also.  Jesus gave freely so we should all imitate his lifestyle of addressing the needs of the poor and following his way to Perfection.