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From our newsletter (Vol7No4)
THE CLOTHES WE WEAR AND THE GIFTS
WE BEAR
It was many years ago when we arrived in London to be met with
a snow white Christmas. We were told that we must go and have
high tea at the London Ritz by those in the know. Naive tourists
then, (and seasoned global gypsies now), we trotted off only
to be nearly turned away - all because a certain man amongst
us was not wearing a tie. Not only was he without a tie, he had
on his made-in-India sandals and decorated by a pair of made-in-China
thick woollen socks. Bright yellow in colour, of course. The
doorman at the Ritz was exercising a form of customer service
rare these days. Without blinking an eyelid and with the famous
English politesse, he opened a cupboard near the entrance to
the hotel and offered a tie to our Aussie dressed companion.
( I wished he would lock up this companion of mine.) Thinking
about Christmas, this Ritz incident comes to my mind and in particular,
the graciousness of the Ritz gentleman. Yes, he was a gentleman
of the old school and appropriately, he displayed a graciousness
that did not belittle our immaculately dressed Aussie.
Graciousness comes from the word grace. It is a word that is
magnificent in meaning and sweet to the tongue. We say someone
graces our table with his or her company. We say s/he is graceful.
Both meanings suggest someone magnificent and elegant. Someone
who gifts us with their presence. Or they give us a favour. In
an old dictionary of mine kept in my holiday shack and forgotton
for twenty years, I discovered these words pertaining to grace:
the love and favour of God, divine influence renewing the heart.
Christmas is about grace. It is God's grace that He gifts his
only Son to save us, human beings. For a long time I could never
fathom the meaning of this saving business in Christianity. After
all, how could I have sinned when I was born. As a human being,
I was born beautiful and pure (and still am according to my Buddhist/Taoist/Hindu
beliefs). In these beliefs, I was born divine and have the potential
to be a buddha, an enlightened being, just like all human beings.
Recently while contemplating on the mystery of life, and reading
a book about how Jesus knew about reincarnation and had travelled
across to India, or at least he had contact with Indian philosophy
and yogic beliefs, I had an insight. Is it not possible that
Jesus was an enlightened being, a bodhisattva or buddha in the
Taoist or Hindu sense, and that he had chosen to be reincarnated
in the form of a human being to alleviate our suffering? I asked
myself in contemplative wonder. Is that what is meant when Christians
see Christ as the saviour of the world. Possible. To achieve
grace in all great religions and spritual beliefs, it is necessary
to submit to our inner buddha or god/goddess. A form of surrender
in body, mind and soul. How challenging that is. By accepting
Jesus as the saviour, as the son of the Judeo Christian God,
as the messiah, requires a certain surrender too, and the relinquishing
of our belief in the concrete external world of science and technology,
of supermarkets and consumerism and our ego-know-all-ness. We
would also have to relinquish our cynicism about organised religion,
dogma and priests/nuns, choir boys, etc. We must not throw out
the baby with the dirty bath water. This Christmas, I hope that
we will let grace enter our life and let us ponder on the lifeworks
of a humble carpenter and Teacher whose most powerful message
to all of us Christians and non Christians alike: love one another
as God loves us, no matter what we have done. Jesus was a worker
like you and me. A carpenter by trade. He was born in a manger
to poor parents but the wisemen brought expensive gifts. The
gifts borne by the three wisemen were well known; gold, incense
and myrrh. Perhaps the gifts we bear for each other this Christmas
should be informed by grace and worn in clothes of love, not
famous brands and big price tags.
Merry Christmas to all of you
Love and light
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