“You have to pay more taxes.” How could that possibly be glad tidings to anyone?
Well, if you are wealthy, a millionaire, say, how might you feel about this? You have the money. Paying the taxes won’t threaten your basic needs for food, shelter, clothes, transportation, etc. The money will be used for roads and infrastructure that can potentially help your business. It will be used for education so there is a more competent work force available. It will be used for other public services from which you and others will benefit as citizens. By offering services such as education and job training and daycare, there could be more employment and less crime, a benefit to all. So paying more in taxes could be seen as glad tidings.
In the Christmas story, we are told of “Glad tidings of great joy to ALL people.” I think the “ALL people” part is really part of defining glad tidings. If the glad tidings are not good news in some way for everyone, then they are not glad tidings.
In the perspective on taxes, we usually think of more taxes as a bad thing. But when you see it as we mentioned above everyone benefits, even the one paying the taxes. So having wealthy people pay more taxes can actually be seen as good news for all, including those paying the taxes. And there are many rich people in the US who look at paying taxes just this way and are asking the government to tax them at a higher level. One leader in this area is Warren Buffet.
Is something glad tidings? Well, look at the implications for all and that will give you a clue. And something that is ultimately good for everyone is glad tidings, even if it does not appear so at first. What is good for the whole is good for the parts.
The opposite is often not the case. Very often, something that is good for one person, or for one group, is at the expense of others. These are not glad tidings. True glad tidings, blessings from God, are good for everyone, or they are not really glad tidings.
Think about the glad tidings in our world. Where is there good news for everyone? Though not as loud on the news, the stories are happening all the time. Glad tidings are constantly being offered. Make sure to be attentive and you will know about them.
Prayer: May I be aware of the glad tidings around me. May I truly look for God’s hand blessing everyone, not just some people. May I be willing to look at the deeper implications to see the good for everyone. That’s how divine love works. Glad tidings of great joy to ALL people. Amen.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 