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By Joan Wiley
It was just the incentive I needed — the angel lost her head. For years, our holiday tree was topped by a hand-made angel. It was a lovely little thing, with tin wings, a big painted star on its wooden gown, a sweet painted face, a wire halo, and a spiral piece that attached to the tree. But as I moved forward on my own spiritual journey, the angel seemed like a bad fit. I haven’t identified as Christian for decades, and neither has the rest of the immediate family, so why were we still placing a symbol of the Christian faith on top of our tree? I have the same conflict about Christmas carols this time of year. The songs evoke warm and fuzzy memories in me, but I simply can’t get behind the lyrics any more. At the same time, I object to the beautiful familiar tunes being modified with humanist lyrics. It somehow seems disrespectful to those people who are Christian. Two years ago, the angel was accidently decapitated. Her noggin and neck had been clumsily glued together from an earlier mishap, so I guess it was only a matter of time before there was another separation. As I tossed the head into the garbage can, it occurred to me that people who behead angels must be condemned to an especially heavy leg anchor in the eternal lake of fire. Thus began the quest for something more appropriate to top our farmed tree, something that reflected our love of nature and the interdependent web of life. Last year I plopped a red, glittery cone from a dollar store on the top branches as a temporary measure. Beyond dreadful. I searched the Internet, and found a stunning verdigris leaping stag – for $65, before tax and shipping costs. What about a star? During the holiday season, birch stars hang in the front windows, tin stars hang from the candle-holding chandelier in the dining room, a selection of stars lines the fireplace mantel. The stars are astronomical symbols of the solstice, the return of much-needed light during the darkest and most dreary time of the year. I do not associate them with wise men, a celestial GPS, or a virgin birth. But as with the angel, I’d rather not see it take pride of place. I found what I was looking for in that most iconic of all true-north stores – Canadian Tire. Perched on a shelf and protected by plastic tubes were two nature-inspired tree toppers – a squirrel and a snowy owl. I figured the world is squirrely enough without me adding to it, so I took the owl home with me. Surely the planet could use more wisdom, even if it goes no further than our family room. I may have lost my own head just a little in the search for a new topper, but the owl looks like it should have been at the top of the tree all along. It satisfies our respect for the seventh Unitarian principle, and I don’t have that uneasy feeling I experienced every time I observed the angel. Really, whoooo can argue with a metaphor for nature and knowledge? Thank you, angel, for becoming unglued, and congratulations on finding new life as a headless topper for my daughter’s wine bottles.
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By Russ Baird
With Homage to Bob Newhart's call, as Sir Walter Raleigh, back to England from his boatload of tobacco leaves (Ring, Ring) Hello, Father, is that you? Oh good Yes, it was a local call, and I do know that joke I'm calling from a World Congress of Religions in Athens Yes, even from Athens, it was a local call I understand, the operator did tell me you had arranged for calls to you in Heaven to be free Of course, they would have to do some screening. Is that something you have assigned to angels, sir? I see. Well, Father, we have some questions here at the Congress Well, just about all your faithful are represented and there are observers from groups that pretend not to acknowledge you Yes, some of them are very sincere atheists I heard about that, Father, that the founder of the Vaishnav sect of Hare Krishnas, Prabhupad, said that atheists have to be extremely religious Because they have to ignore what they can plainly see, precisely, sir Indeed, all "religious pathways" do seem to look for things that are less than self-evident. Greater than the self-evident, I would say. Then you agree with Prabhupad, those atheists truly are religious? I understand, just to the extent that the word means anything to them. Perhaps. But you say "when they get to Heaven". Sir, how do they get to heaven? Your church suggests they won't get there Oh really, does that mean they have a different heaven? No? Sir, that would be good to get into, but your angel, or whoever it was, said we can have only 10 minutes of your time, and we all did agree on a couple of questions Yes, it would indeed be nice if we could agree on much more than questions, actions, yes Thank you. The first one is from the Kabir Panth representative. He pointed out that the Christian Church, the Jesus part of your following, seems to suggest you are a masochist Well, it convinced a lot of us here that it is a question that needs an answer. Is it not true that you created everything? Then perhaps you created, or at least allowed or identified, sin? And then? Well, it seems you also wanted to forgive that sin Yes, I know. It is the Christians, including me as head of the Antiochean Orthodox Church, still part of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church from which so many have broken away, who focus on sin, forgiveness of sin, redemption, et cetera Indeed, it is this month that, 500 years ago, one of your devotees, Martin Luther, broke many of us away. But sir, he broke away from the Roman part of your church, which separated itself from us in 1054 AD I see. You don't much care about all that. Yes, if you say so, those who say they are Christians, are Christians Really, you say they don't have exclusivity on truth or salvation? No one does? Everyone has it? Oh, you mean the chance to get it Do you mean by any of the paths that claim to devote themselves to you? Oh, even the ones that don't make that claim? All of them, or just the Buddhists? Most of them? I see. What is that exception, sir? Oh, the Church of Satan. Well, they are not here, but they were invited. I think all of us here would agree that they would be an exception Sir, the question is, Are you a masochist? Why did you not simply forgive, if you wanted to forgive? Why did you have to incarnate yourself for torture and even have yourself nailed to a cross? But it is your book, and surely, you can change anything you want to change I see. That story is for those who need such a story. Real sinners, you say. And you say the Jains don't need such a story? I understand, the Jains who converted to that faith are less sinful than those who are in it because of family tradition. That would apply in every faith, would it not? Oh, yes, our time is up. Can we have another 10 minutes tomorrow, Lord? Thank you for that Blessing, Father |
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