Friday, January 8, 2010

A Latin American Christmas Creed

I realize that Christmas is a fairly distant memory for most of you, but it's been on my mind since I went to a Christmas Eve service on Wednesday night at a local Coptic church. (Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7.) I only stayed for the first three hours of a five-hour long service, because my hosts thought that it would be wise of me to come back by 11 pm.

The experience sparked some wondering along the vein of: "What does it mean to be a Christian?" That could be taken two ways, either "What are the criteria for being a Christian?" or "What is the significance of being a Christian?" The "Latin American Christmas Creed" which I'm including below focuses more on the latter, but the former is a good question too.

I read this in Do Justice: A Social Justice Road Map, edited by Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma, a book that I got from Calvin College's Faith and International Development Conference in February 2008. Ponder and enjoy.

"I believe in Jesus Christ and in the power of the gospel, begun in Bethlehem.

I believe in the one whose spirit glorified a small village, of whose coming shepherds saw the sign, and for whom there was no room at the inn.

I believe in the one whose life changed the course of history, over whom the rulers of the earth had no power, and who was not understood by the proud.

I believe in the one to whom the oppressed, the discouraged, the afflicted, the sick, the blind, the injured gave welcome, and accepted as Lord and Savior.

I believe in the one who--with love--changed the heart of the proud and with his life showed that it is better to serve than to be served, and that the greatest joy is giving your life for others.

I believe in peace, which is not the absence of war, but justice among all people and nations and love among all.

I believe in reconciliation, forgiveness, and the transforming power of the gospel.

I believe that Christmas is strength and power, and that this world can change if with humility and faith we kneel before the manger.

I believe that I must be the first one to do so."

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting this Rachel. We have a tendency to sell our coptic brothers and sisters short.

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  2. Do the coptics believe anything unusual? Or why do we sell them short?

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