Dialogue: At least give God points for trying

As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And as I ponder the world into which Jesus Christ was born, I wonder if mankind is in any better condition today than at the time of that first Christmas 2000 years ago.

In spite of all the evidence to the contrary, Christmas is still Christmas. For tens of thousands of New Zealanders and millions round the world the real significance of the season is the joyful celebration in gratitude of the birth of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man.

He came into a world which, in human terms, had much in common with the world today. Globalisation, for instance, was a reality. The Roman Empire straddled almost the whole of the known world.

It was a time, too, of tremendous advances in communications and technology. Wherever they went the Romans brought incredible skills in building roads, which they linked to a network of ports and thus made travel easier and quicker than it had ever been.

Their technology created cities, dams, canals, aqueducts, temples, fortifications and a world market for goods and services which, incidentally, they were clever enough to make damn sure wasn't free.

But with this "civilisation" came all the social problems which plague us today. The rich got richer, the poor got poorer and in between the artisans and traders, the middle-classes of the day, were squeezed by crippling taxation of one sort or another.

Under Roman imperialism, as under the economic imperialism of today, no account was taken of the traditions, needs, aspirations or futures of the peoples who came under its domination. Unemployment, disease, starvation, homelessness, brutality, violence, thievery, immorality and a wholesale rape of resources followed the conquerors wherever they went.

And among those firmly under the thumb of the Gentile were the Jews, God's chosen people from the beginning of mankind, who inhabited the land roughly the equivalent of modern-day Israel.

Into which God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, who was born in a stable at the back of a pub to a virgin named Mary, partner of a carpenter named Joseph, who had been forced to travel to his home town of Bethlehem to be registered in a Roman census.

An inauspicious start to the life of the one whose arrival as saviour of the world had been talked about for centuries. And so it might seem, but the fact is that that tiny Christmas baby grew into a man whose life - in deeds and words and dying - was to turn the whole world on its ear.

His message was simple: all we needed to do to make the world a much happier place was to love God with all our hearts (in other words, put God first) then love our neighbours as ourselves. There was no need, he said, for all the sacrifices and observances that had grown up around religion. What God really wanted from all of us was hearts filled with compassion.

In deed and word he showed those who would listen what God is really like - not a choleric, rigid, intractable, demanding disciplinarian ready to make our lives hell for every little transgression, real or imagined, but a God of infinite, passionate love for every man, woman and child on Earth, with whom he wants a personal relationship.

Jesus portrayed a God of unlimited understanding, unlimited mercy, unlimited forgiveness, unlimited healing. He painted a picture of a Father whose only concern - obsession, if you like - was the welfare, contentment and fulfilment of all of his children.

While thousands of ordinary people took him at his word - and saw their lives transformed - the religious rulers of the day listened to him with growing anger. For they had a vested interest in keeping things the way they were, making sure that every little law and regulation was adhered to - and paid for.

So they had him put to death. And in so doing played right into God's hands. For with his death, resurrection and ascension came the loosing of the Holy Spirit, without whose help a real relationship with God isn't possible.

And that's the catch. "For God so loved the world," said Jesus, "that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." If we want what God has to offer, we first must believe in, trust and obey him - in other words, invite him to take over the direction of our inner lives.

Millions have, but because the great majority of us have never been able even to contemplate handing over our lives to a God we cannot see, the world continues on its hapless way and billions of people continue to live lives of quiet, and not so quiet, desperation.

So, has mankind changed much in the past 2000 years? No, but there's still time.

* garth_george@herald.co.nz