Arquivo para December 16th, 2024
Christmas and Herod
The rumor that a Messiah and a Savior would be born infuriated Herod, who ruled Judea under the Roman Empire. He ordered the killing of innocent children, persecuted rebels and lived on fury, lust and power; wars today resemble this character from the beginning of the Christian era.
Because of the conflicts over the colonization of the Jews, Herod’s interpretation and that of some religious people was that the Messiah would be a warrior, a “king” and for this reason he ordered them to look for the newborn and without finding him he ordered the killing of the newborns of that time.
The Jews demonstrated because of the high taxes, and after Jesus’ death in 70 AD the second temple was destroyed, according to the Heritage Daily website there is historical evidence that this happened (photo).
It’s no different today, they’re looking for political interpretations of Advent, which announces not only the fact that Jesus was born, but also his second coming (Parousia) and there’s no shortage of Herods who instigate wars and violence, big or small, and hatred is widespread in our time, but for true Christians and also religious people who celebrate Christmas in their own way, it will always be a time of true peace and the coming of Jesus.
In Eastern Europe, in the Gaza Strip and in many other parts of the world, the spirit of Herod lives on, hunting and killing innocents, justifying atrocities with sweetened narratives and even with words that inspire peace and help for needy populations, but they are just narratives.
The spirit of Love and Peace is resilient for those who really want a better world. There will always be warmth and harmony in the homes of those who live according to respect and will have more affection and affection than food, drink and luxurious exaggerations.
True Christmas celebrations will also seek more concrete words and actions of fraternity and will lead minds and hearts towards the resilient spirit of Christmas peace.