Christmas is a joyous time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by living his example and teachings through good works of gift giving, charity and kindness, and love to all, even our enemies. The son of man, the Prince of Peace foretold of the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven.

But how many of us this Christmas season can search within ourselves and say that the Kingdom of Heaven is near?

Sadly, most of us would say that the Kingdom seems to have slipped farther behind the clouds. Our President has declared war, violence plagues our city streets, terrorism has become a reality while homeland security color codes us with fear, corporations preach a gospel of consumption and brand identity and many of faith talk not of the kingdom of Heaven but of Armageddon and the rapture.

A rereading of the gospels helps us understand why we have strayed so far from the path Jesus put in front of us. While Jesus preached the law of love, do unto others, he said the greatest commandment was to love and have faith in God above all other. He said that all the law and the prophets hung on the law of love and the love for God.

To many of this has become a debate about personal salvation between good works (deeds) and faith. James tells us that we need to have both deeds and faith if we are to be saved.

But is there more? How do we get on the path to the Kingdom of Heaven on earth that Jesus spoke about? Through our faith. Not the faith of a simple belief in God but the faith of Jesus who submitted his will to that of God's. It is only when we imitate the faith of Jesus in God and ask of God as St. Francis of Assisi did; 'make me an instrument of Peace', that peace and the kingdom of Heaven will reign on earth.

We need only look to the profound influence of two great princes of peace, Mathma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., to see how deeds guided by faith can profoundly transform the world. They stand in sharp contrast to other well intentioned twentieth century do gooders whose un-inspired deeds helped make it the most violent century in history. The path of egalitarian communism leads to the gulag graveyards of Siberia while the 'invisible hand' and the gospel of self-interest have ushered in our modern world.

Both Gandhi and King were spirit led and deeply influenced by the teachings of Jesus. They were a testament to the transformative power of the non-violence and love Jesus preached. But their actions were only transformative because they put their faith in God. Gandhi tells us; 'Nonviolence succeeds only when we have a real living faith in God'.

Jesus began hisministry with forty days and forty nights in the wilderness during which he fasted and most likely prayed a lot. He was tempted by the devil and probably in many other ways as well. At the time of Jesus such desert pilgrimages were considered a way to commune with God--what we may call today a spiritual exercise. How many of us begin an action or activity with prayer? How many of us do spiritual exercises as much as we physically exercise our body?, or train our mind?

This Christmas season give a gift to your children's children and make a commitment to develop your faith. When the New Year begins don't just exercise your body; undertake spiritual exercises of prayer, meditation and contemplation. Build up that soul and faith and make yourself an instrument of Peace so that the Kingdom of Heaven will be closer for those that follow.

God Bless and Have a Merry Christmas,

madis senner

Next article--If Only The Peace Movement had a Reverent Heart

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