Category: Kim’s Blog

Today is Bodhi Day; a significant Buddhist holy day. It is said that on this day in 596 BCE Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. To celebrate Bodhi Day, people put up colored lights around the home. In some places, people decorate ficus trees with colored lights, with strings of beads to symbolize that all things are united, and with shiny ornaments representing the three jewels, the Buddha, the Dharma (teaching) and the Sangha (community).

Doesn’t this sound familiar? Decorating a tree with lights and ornaments is not only a Christmas tradition! So while we are putting up our evergreen trees and decorating them with symbols of the season, Buddhists are decorating ficus trees with lights and symbols for a different holy day.

To me this is just another way that God is delivering glad tidings of great joy to ALL people. In every land, in every tradition, in every culture, there are celebrations of the wonder of God’s love. Whatever our language or culture, divine love finds us and illumines our lives.

As we enjoy the decorated trees in our homes and in our public spaces, may we remember all the Buddhists around the world celebrating the enlightenment of their religious path.

Prayer: We are grateful that God finds ways to bring glad tidings of great joy to all people. God moves through all cultures and traditions. Divine love is endlessly creative and is limitless. We give thanks for the joy of our spiritual path and pray for all people to know glad tidings this season and in all seasons. Amen.

December 7. For those of a certain age, that date is unforgettable. On December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese. This major attack on American soil propelled America into World War 2. December 7.

Then there is August 6, 1945. That is the date that the US dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Another infamous date.

While both dates reference horrible events and should be remembered, they also invite us to look at our circumstances today. Today the US has very cordial relations with Japan. And, despite the unleashing of the use of nuclear weapons, they have not been used again. By anyone. While 1000’s of nuclear weapons have been manufactured and exist in the aresnals of numerous countries, they have not been used. While various treaties to curtial their use have failed, they have not been used. While agreements to end their prolioferation have failed, they still have not been used.

Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s during the Cold War, we lived in fear of nuclear war each and every day. Doom loomed. The fact that nuclear weapons have not been used and the world has not been destroyed is no reason to be complacent. We still need to work to eradicate the threat of nuclear war and all war. But in thinking about our Advent theme “Glad tidings of great joy to ALL people” it is a great joy that nuclear weapons have only been used once and have not been used again. We have the capability to destroy the world, yet it has not happened. Now that is good news!

Prayer: In the Christmas story, the angels proclaim, “Peace on Earth, good will to all.” Peace is difficult to achieve and to maintain be it in our families, in our communities, or in the world. May we help to birth peace in the world; peace that is glad tidings of great joy to ALL people. Amen.

Every night I go to bed in the same room. I sometimes lay down on the bed during the daytime, too. It is a very familiar space that I see daily. And the decor hasn’t changed in years. Yet recently as I was laying on the bed, I noticed that a sign on the door and a poster of a painting just outside the door have the same color scheme. It’s uncanny, actually, especially when you know that the sign on the door was made by the resident advisor of my son’s college dorm his freshman year and the poster is Van Gogh’s Cafe Terrace. These two images have no relationship to each other (except physical proximity in our home) and yet I have just noticed that the colors are remarkably similar. I mentioned this observation to my son, the artist. He said that he had never noticed the similar color scheme either. That was another surprise since he is supremely visually observant.

Here is something I am exposed to every day, the proverbial wallpaper of my life, and I only just noticed this glaring connection. As we think of the Advent/Christmas theme “Glad tidings of great joy to ALL people” I am wondering if there are glad tidings around us each and every day that we just have not yet noticed? I suspect that there are, and I would venture that they are many. This is a season to notice. To pay attention. To reflect. To see those glad tidings that are a regular part of our lives day in and day out and that may have become so familiar that we don’t see them. I invite you to think about the glad tidings that are close at hand in your life.

Prayer: In this Advent season while we may be looking for a star in the distance, we may miss the glad tidings that are close at hand, perhaps as near as the smile of a loved one or colleague or neighbor. God is nearer than we think. May we not miss the glad tidings of God’s love each and every day. Amen.

What does Santa need to know? Apparently in Japan, there is a Santa Claus Academy which is a training school for Santas. They learn magic tricks and straight answers, among other things. Probably a lot about the north pole, elf culture, and reindeer, as well!

In Japan, about 2% of the population is Christian. And yet Christmas is a very popular holiday there, as it is in the rest of the world. When I was younger, I felt that only Christians should celebrate Christmas. If you weren’t a follower of Jesus, then why would you care about the celebration of his birth? Then I learned about how many of the traditions that I associate with Christmas come from non-Christian religions and cultures. So, Christianity borrowed a lot of what I associate with Christmas. Now, it looks like the tide is turning and other religions and cultures are borrowing what we consider Christmas traditions, even though they are not Christian.

Actually, the universal attraction of Christmas should not surprise us. Don’t the angels in the story from Luke promise glad tidings of great joy to ALL people? So, many people beyond the Christian faith are celebrating Christmas. They are enjoying the wonder and joy of the season. They are celebrating the love and light of Christmas. They are glorying in the expressions of good will and generosity. They are taking delight in the music and festivities.

Christians see Jesus is an expression of God’s love for the whole world so it seems fitting that the whole world celebrate his birth.

Prayer: Help us not hoard the joy of this season. May our celebrations reflect the universality of the divine love that we see in Jesus. May we be filled with good will toward all people. This is the true spirit of Christmas. May it be so. Amen.

“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.