A Christmas Story

Once upon a time there was a young man who grew up in his society to question the justice of his society. Through his life and through his words he told of a society that would and could be better -- more just, more fair, more beautiful -- than the one in which he lived. His mind was one beyond where his society was at the time, and he tried and tried to communicate his vision. He failed to do so, but triumphed when he died. The way he taught did not become exactly the way he taught, but soon the world he lived in grew to get to where he was, and he became revered by many.

Jesus changed the Roman world. Socrates changed the Greek. Buddha changed the Eastern world along with Confucius. Each moved their societies into different expressions of the same level of complexity. We celebrate the birth of Christ because he transformed the Roman world from Egocentric to Authoritative, from Roman to Medieval, making European society more complex. Even non-Christian WEsterners should celebrate that transformation, because without it, the West would not have been what it was, missing a vital thread of its DNA. The struggle between Athens and Jerusalem, between Socrates-Plato-Aristotle and Jesus-(-John-Peter-Paul), made the West what it was, and made us who we are. For making us who we are, we should all celebrate Christmas.

The Christians need no argument for Christmas -- but it's clearer with every passing year that other people do.

Merry Christmas everyone! This will be my last posting for the year. See you in the New Year!