Christmas And Communication

It was a holy birth, (literal translation of the Korean word for Christmas). A baby was born in a remote place, not at home, in a stable, a baby's birth called holy. Why? Because it is the birth of the Son of God. So begins a meditation on Christmas in the Peace Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly.

Why did the Son of God become a man? Why did the Creator who created the universe become a creature? The Bible speaks of love for the sake of salvation. "God loved the world so much that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Was there not another way to save humanity? God could with a word abolish all the evil of the world. With a word, could have transformed all the wrong ideas, words and deeds of human beings completely, why would he choose to become a creature, born as a newborn baby in a shabby stable?

The writer found the reason in 'love at eye level' or 'communication' which is desperately needed in all ages. Love needs to match the eye level of the beloved. If not, the object of love can't acknowledge the love or understand it. The best way for the Creator God to communicate and have this love realized by his creatures is to come down and be one with them.

But the question arises: true love does not need to reveal or announce itself. Why was it necessary for God to become one of us to make known his love? Was it not to communicate at eye level with the one loved. Communication is not unilateral, not one-sided, not orders or instruction. Communication is interactive. It's reciprocal. So, if you do not open your mind and heart to the other, you are not communicating.

But there are many times when communication does not exist between people because of walls, ranks, and discrimination. The strata of society you belong to will determine who you will be communicating with. Those in the higher levels of society speak to their own and so with those in the lower levels of society. The most effective way to break this reality is to have the person on the top come down. Not to rebuke and direct, but to open up and to come together. Was this not the reason God came to the earth as a baby to be one with us?

But why do you want to communicate in this way? Communicating brings about a meeting of minds and hearts. Communication that does not do this is not true communication. By forming a sympathetic bound with one another, the motivation to share goals and work to realize them is achieved. The vitality for this comes from the inside. Without true communication, a union is not formed, we lack goal consciousness and motivation.

Is this not the reason why the Son of God came to the poorest as a helpless baby? His life is the most vivid example of the way and purpose of true communication. He has showed us that all are God's beloved children and that every person is made noble with the power given to us by his love.

So the birth of a baby born in a stable 2000 years ago is still the greatest message on the meaning of communication. The Christmas message of communication is a need of our age. A blessed Christmas to all.