As Good A Start As Any

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

This post is duplicated on my other blog today. It is almost the same as I posted this time last year, partly as I am too busy at the moment to prepare a new one, but also because I have been asked to repeat the poem it by ‘Adam, Jules, Jon, Ollie, Justine and Shelley’ who describe themselves as ‘a group of Business students who are broke and in debt up to our ears, but determined nonetheless to have a good time this Christmas and put the troubles of the Eurozone and the rest of the world behind us for a few days at least...’

Well, I dare say most people in Britain, the rest of Europe and beyond can empathise with that sentiment. I know I do!

Now, as regular readers know, I have written a Poem for Christmas for years. While some are in my collections, all can be found on my blogs. You may think this is strange, even more than a shade hypocritical as I am not a Christian; nor, indeed, do I subscribe to any religion. Yet, the spirit of religion is something I can relate to, and as I have said before, I respect the historical Jesus if not the religious icon. Moreover, there is great poetry in the Bible as well as metaphors, parables and anecdotes to which I can easily relate.

For some years now, here in the UK, the media have reported instances of schools, libraries, even local communities feeling that they cannot celebrate Christmas for gear of offending the ethnic minorities among them.

Most people I have spoken to from those same minorities find this patronising and quite absurd; after all, they not only celebrate their religions but are actively encouraged to do so. Only a vocal few, hell bent on aggravating socio-cultural-religious divides, begrudge anyone an opportunity to celebrate Christmas.

Whatever creed we follow - or none at all - let’s grab any chance we can to enjoy an occasion when Peace and Goodwill to everyone may be wishful thinking but remains a goal worth aspiring to.

So here’s wishing all my readers a Happy Season in the sense of Christ’s message of love, peace and mutual understanding between peoples of all socio-cultural-religious persuasions. [Does it really matter who endorses the message?]

AS GOOD A START AS ANY

There are carols for Christmas
about a baby Jesus born to Mary
and Joseph in Bethlehem
come to forgive a sorry world its sins
and show how redemption
goes hand in hand with salvation
(if we choose to believe it)

There are carols for Christmas
meant to give this sorry world hope
that love and peace
may yet outwit this strategy for war,
that message of hate
carried by the antics of fanatics
(if we choose to believe them)

There are bells rung at Christmas
bringing great news for celebration
for any who care to listen,
and though we may not be Christian,
but of another religion,
Jesus taught God is for everyone
(if we choose to believe Him)

How to repair poor, fractured, humanity?
(Christmas, surely, as good a start as any)

Copyright R. N. Taber 2010