The Reason for the Season?

So I read this article this morning about how the pagans stole Christmas from the Christians.  The article was written about an article Kirk Cameron wrote.  I have always liked Kirk Cameron, but I believe he has gone just a little south.  I try hard not to judge and believe that we have to believe by faith - that is how this whole Christian thing seems to work.  I have done a lot of research over the years into the origins of Christmas.  There is nothing in the Bible that suggests Dec. 25th is the date of His birth.  Again, for me it is all about the faith and not about the facts.  In my study of this awesome holiday, I discovered that Christmas did seem to start with the Pagans.  As years have gone by, this holiday has changed and changed adding from various cultures and religious beliefs.  My feeling is that Christmas or the week of the solstice is a special time for everyone, for various reasons.  Why not just celebrate the holiday and then celebrate it specifically according to your own personal beliefs.  There seems to be so much overlapping in meaning.  For example - fire -  Fire brings light, light casts out darkness, and people need to find the light because it is safer in the light than it is in the dark.  Fire would have been pagan.  Jesus, as we know is The Light of the World.  Christmas trees maybe pagan, because we celebrate the beginning of nature coming back to life.  We put lights on the tree - sure for decorative purposes - but again it is the beginning of rebirth of nature, and symbolizes Jesus as the light of the world.  I hope you understand my thoughts here.  The date on which Jesus was born is just that - a date.  I am just thankful that He was born.

As I stated earlier - I do believe strongly that I am a Christian, but all this "my brand of Christianity is better than yours"  smells very much like what is going on in the Middle East between all these different religions.  Every time I hear another story about Christians fighting with Christians (and yes it happens here in the states) it makes me sick.  Jesus got a long with everybody.  He was friends with the lowliest AND he treated them with kindness.  Jesus didn't gather his disciples together to talk about what a bunch of losers those other people are compared to those that followed ME.  

I became a Christian because my friend Dean was one.  Dean was gentle and kind.  He was also caring and in his own way - loving.  These were qualities I had not found in any of my friends to that point.  After spending hours of time with him and his family, I decided I wanted what he had.  I guess this hits the arguments  about saved by grace or by works.  How about both!  Sometimes we need grace and other times we need to show the Christ that is in us.  I do think that "Jesus is the reason for the season" (I know so cliche')  but I do.  Judaism does not believe there is a Messiah that has come and they are still waiting.  Do I personally believe this?  No, but I respect those that do.  The same goes for everything else.  In their purest forms most religions have pieces that overlap.  There are ideas in Buddhism that fit wonderfully with Christian ideals.  Because I follow some Buddhist ideas, does that make me a bad Christian?  Some reading this might say yes, but in my heart (and that is the  most important part) I believe that Christ was the Son of God.

In closing - I just don't understand the hate found in many of the groups that are in my words "my way or the highway" - We are all people too - We need to stop this non-sense of fighting with each other over religion and start to take care of each other.  Those ideas are found in religions across the board and it is the one thing which we can all believe.

**  I did not write this to start a fight - or to get into arguments about what I have typed.  These are my opinions - and last time I checked I am entitled to them.  So you are entitled to yours - but if you want to go all negative on my butt - save yourself - if you want to share your thoughts - start your own blog and you too can share your feelings.

The night Eggie's house burned to the ground.

I lived on the main street of my little town - even though it was called a city.  There were two houses in my block and during one summer night, the other burned down.  This was before air conditioners - so the window in my bedroom was open and the fan was running.  Probably the reason I can fall asleep to white noise.  I told my mom not to leave the window open because there was going to be a fire on this night.  Now you see, I also lived diagonally away from the fire house.  When the siren went off, it would jolt you to consciousness and not in a good way!  My mother told me I was silly (I believe this was the beginning of the nickname “Silly Billy” which was later changed to “Spilly Billy.”  but I digress.  

I am languishing in my hot room with the fan blowing lukewarm humid air on me.  My only cover was a thin sheet, and I was wearing my “summer weight” pajamas.  I would have never thought of sleeping in the nude or my undershorts.  I always got a new set of pajamas for Christmas or my Birthday.  Suddenly, as if by design, the fire siren began to honk.  It used to honk in a code and we had the code breaker so if it were four honks, then it might be on Hall Street.  I think back then fires were the only thing that happened in the twin - boroughs that made life exciting.  

Even with all my complaining about being awakened by the fire siren; I was not.  My mother came into my room and shook me into consciousness and asked me if I had not heard the fire siren?  Then she tolod me to, “Look out your window.”  I sat up, rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and all I could see were the colors of red, orange, and yellow - the colors of fire.  I got out of bed, and we moved the fan so I could get a better look.  Now this house belonged to one of the only friends I had on my block - Craig Stoudt.  His father worked at the foundry and he lived in a house on the foundry’s land.  I was really sad for my friend and frightened that someday this could happen to me.  I am not sure how long I stayed up; I know it was long enough to get a glass of water.

The next day I met up with Craig, whom we called “Eggie.” I have no idea why we called him that - we just did.  He was obviously sad; his house had burned to the ground.  When I talked to him about what he and his family were going to do, he said he was not sure, but they would probably move away.  As Craig and I frequently road our bikes together to go to Pennypacker’s to get Penny Candy - and as he was a bit bigger than me - I had some built in protection from the rough tough kids that lived near the store.  It was also called the Cigar Store because they sold cigarettes and cigars.  I recall a small soda fountain in the back where you could get really good food and milk shakes.  

It appeared that those journeys were going to be more solo soon and made me very sad and a bit scared.  The price you pay for being 4’ tall is that you are the very easy target of any and all bullies - though we did not call them that then.   Oddly enough my father told me that if I would stop twirling “that damn baton” in front of the house maybe people wouldn’t beat up on me.  It was a sad situation.  You seen in just a few short days my friend Craig had lost his home and everything in it, and I had lost a friend.

The top picture is really pretty close to what Craig's house looked like when I first saw it

This picture looks like a bit later

And this is what happened before it collapsed on itself.

These are not actually pictures of Craig's house - I am not even sure we had color cameras at that point.  But these are the images as I recall them or pretty close  - as you see they were "burned" into my memory!   RRRRR  Sorry I went for the cheap laugh -

How do you get from Tuscany to Judgement? Read on to find out!

I watched Under the Tuscan Sun last night.  I have a friend who is about to embark on a European trip and it made me think of this movie and how cool it might be to move to a foreign country, buy an old broken down villa and then work on fixing it up.  Imagine all the people you would meet shopping in town and being a part of a new culture.  I have to say that living in Lancaster all these years, even though I have made many good friends, has been stifling.   A friend of mine who works in Lancaster but lives in Chester Country said that the 50 mile drive makes such a difference.  He said it is hard to believe how different the people are in Lancaster compared to Chester County.  I know that Central Pennsylvania is the Bible belt of PA,  and don’t get me wrong I truly believe I am a Christian blah, blah, blah, but I also believe that everyone has the right to decide what works for them.  I have known Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, and Muslims.  Do I agree with their faith?  Maybe not but I agree that in order to be a more complete person you need to have faith.  Faith in something: I mean  without any faith where are you going to end up?  Do I think my faith is better than yours?  Why would I?  I’m not you?  I can’t possibly know what’s in your heart and mind so how could I know what is best for you.  My Christianity teaches “Judge lest you be judged.”  Hey if my faith brings me to an after life with Pearly gates and St. Peter with the book of my life.  Then no way am I getting “taken down” for judging someone.  I try my hardest not to judge anyone.  I may not like what you are doing, it may not be healthy for you to do what you are doing, and according to my faith you may even be sinning, but I have NO input on that.  What you do morally is between you and whoever.  Don’t judge!

So likewise I have a very strong conviction about other people feeling that their religion or faith is more superior than mine.  I detest when people question my sincerity about my faith.  You don’t know my heart.  Don’t judge me.  Am I perfect? - for humor sake I would say, “Of course” - but man that is not even remotely true.  I not only have issues (as we all do), but I also screw up.  I say things in jest that are taken wrongly.  I was told that I was a lousy teacher last year, I was told I did not understand Jr. high students, I’ve been told I’m an asshole.  Ok so maybe sometimes the last one is true, but I don’t do it on purpose.  Anyone who knows me knows there is hardly a mean bone in my body anymore.  I even feel bad when I discipline the dog!  Again,  don’t judge.  

Sadly, I believe strongly that the prevailing attitude in Lancaster is one of just plain judgement.  I know it sounds like I am judging these people.  That is not my point.  There are many nonjudgmental people I am friends with in Lancaster and they agree that many in Lancaster are very judgmental.  I suppose what is at the core of this issue is that there is only one true religion and it must be followed to the letter of that law.  If you do not follow this law, or this religion, then there is something completely wrong with you.  It also means that you are not worthy or an equal to them.  Shame on you.  This creates people with small world views with narrow minded beliefs.  At anytime in history we can look at groups that were bullied for a variety of reasons.  I remember Catholics were fish eaters and not to be trusted.  I remember that ALL black people were called the N word and were not to be trusted at all.  I have learned that the Irish were not trusted when they came to America and neither we're the Italians.  Now it is Gays and Lesbians.

I can understand, based on your limited world view that you don’t like gay people; I can understand you don’t think they should be married; I can understand that you think they are going to hell, but i cannot understand your attitude of hate towards these people.  You are judging based on your narrow criteria.  I often think about all the types of people Jesus spent time with.  He did not judge them for what they did.  Hey sin is sin no matter what it is.  There were murders, prostitutes, adulterers, thieves, and many more.  There is an entire list posted on one of the doors at  the church in which I work.  Do you really think Jesus would turn his back on a gays and lesbians.  I don’t, not my God, He is a God of love not hate.  He would be there to help and counsel as he did with Mary.  Just because you are gay or lesbian does not mean that you should not have the option to be a Christian or any other religion for that matter.  Gays and lesbians need as much if not more support than most people.  Please stop judging people!

I am happy to know that our younger generation and many faith based groups are beginning to accept gays and lesbians into their organizations.  Many gays and lesbians already have some kind of serious faith relationship.  No longer hiding in shame because if the truth were known, they be cast out of the organization.  It is good to know that gays and lesbians are no longer be looked at as anything other than a human being.  There is hope that people will stop judging others.

I’ve used the gays and lesbians as an example, but we all know that in high school anyone not in our clique was considered to be a pariah and we wanted nothing to do with them.  The girl I sat next to during graduation was a prime example.  I met her during graduation practice when I had to sit next to her.  We didn’t know each other at all, but until graduation was over, I felt so lucky to have known her.  She was not part of my group, and maybe I did see her in school but she was still not someone I would have been friends with because of how she dressed.  I know very shallow right?  But that’s my point, I was shallow in high school.  I am thankful that I am no longer shallow.  I learned from a group of black, female teenagers that I was Bill.  I had no color and was not different to them than anyone else.  This was truly one of the greatest lessons of my life.  

Our country needs more tolerance and understanding or I fear for what will happen to this country.  No matter someone’s race, religion, color, and sexuality we are all human beings with feelings, hopes, wishes, and dreams.  People really need to stop judging others!

PS- I know this is a long way from Under the Tuscan Sky - but maybe not as far as you think.  Pawel was judged because he was Polish and not Italian - Frances, though was not judged, because the people in her Cortona were open and friendly people.