Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #9: The Incarnation of God

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #9: The Incarnation of God: "After viewing 'The Nativity Story', analyzing your chosen Christmas carol, and reading Philippians 2:1-7, reflect on the meaning of Christma..."

Through the years, Christmas has evolved into a fun holiday in which gifts are exchanged, carols are sung, and turkeys are eaten. In the midst of all this, however, we rarely take the time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas - the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. In Philippians 2:1-7 and the Nativity Story, Jesus is depicted as a human being who is the incarnate of God. His humble birth in a stable is extremely significant, for no King or God is born in such conditions. However, Jesus comes into the world as a baby like any other.

This is the second verse of the Christmas carol I chose, 'O Holy Night':

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend!

In this verse, it talks about the part of Jesus' birth when the Wise Men came, following the Star of David and everyone gathered around Him. The lyrics, "The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our friend" perfectly captures Jesus' purpose on earth. He is God, but was sent to live among us and be one of us so that He could truly save us. A god that comes to earth as a baby is humble and committed. Christ is both fully divine and fully human, as he confronted all human temptations and sufferings and experiences. It is because He was once that tiny baby lying in a manger that makes Him all the more powerful.

Reflection #8 Islam: Two Perspectives

A fairly recent controversy in the news regarding Islam was the plan to build an Islamic center near the site of the September 11 attacks in 2001. A Western news source (the Boston Globe) questioned whether it was appropriate to place a mosque so close to where the World Trade Center once stood. This article discusses the views of relatives of 9/11 victims and their strong opposition to the plan, calling it "a gross insult to the memory of those who were killed on that terrible day." There is a slightly biased point of view, as many more quotes and examples from people who are against building the mosque at Ground Zero are used. This article does include an interview with a devout Muslim, however this individual is also not in favor of the location of the mosque.
In an article from the Arab News, the same story is addressed in a slightly different way. The same facts are stated, but from the point of view of a Muslim developer in the project. He states that through all the coverage of this issue, reports often fail to mention how the project organizers had engaged with the local community and gained their support before moving ahead. Also, this article discusses the misperceptions people have about Islam and the Muslim people. They are peace-loving Americans who want the same thing that everybody else wants.
The two articles show how the same story can sound completely different when written from different points of view.

Western Article: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/06/06/a_mosque_at_ground_zero/
Islamic View Article: http://arabnews.com/world/article150003.ece