All I want for Christmas is...

All I want for Christmas is...waitforit...mm, how about this? 

All I want for Christmas is for...Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer to experience an unfortunate snow-sleight accident while travelling across the storm clouds with Father St. Nicholas. 

Let me flesh out my Christmas wish a little more here for completeness.

After the accident, Rudolph suffered more than a red nose. He was nursing a fracture in the wintry North Pole infirmary. Needless to say, some of the wrapped presents were not delivered on time because of it. Mind you, the snow-sleight had to be repaired too. But, fortunately, Father Nick had a spare or two. 

After an exhausting night of delivery, Father Nick, his elves and a few of Rudolph’s cousins went to the infirmary to surprise Rudolph, who was at that time quite sad and lonely. 

They surprised him with a warm bowl of soup, a velvety bucket full of salad made of leaves from willows and birches, and a few gifts from Father Nick himself.

They then talked through the early hours of the morning until sunrise. They talked about how blessed they were, how what they have done has brought broad smiles to poor kids and orphans all over the world, and how it gave them a deep and intimate meaning doing what they do during this season of giving. Suddenly, Rudolph felt much better and the hurt from the fracture was transformed to deepening joy in his heart. A joy shared with family, with loved ones.

Mm...that about wraps up my Christmas wish, if you should ask me in two days’ time. 

Yes, I know it is not much of a wish. Some may even think it is a request from someone who is sick in the mind. Whoever wishes for an accident to happen to loved ones, especially during a festive season like Christmas? Next saner wish pls.

But in my defence, Rudolph is imaginary. He was invented in 1939 so that some American store could give away millions of copies of his heart-warming story. That red-nosed ruminant is basically a myth. Santa Claus had a much longer mythical history than his fellow reindeer. 

Yet my point is this: If you want to remember Christmas, it is definitely not about that roasted turkey, that unwrapping of gifts, or those Christmas hymns we belt out with careless abandonment. They are no doubt part of the celebration, but there is much more to it of course. 

As opposed to Rudolph, which is a myth, Christmas is about the story of Christ. It is no happy story - and we all know that. It is about betrayal, about injustice, about torture, about tears, about death. 

All of that, or most of it, should be quite familiar to most of us reading about his life. It definitely went beyond some bullying because some reindeer got an unusual shiny red nose or some cooked up Christmas wish about some storm cloud accident. 

Alas, my wish for an accident to an imaginary character is a wish to bring out a point and not that I wish for it to happen. It is a point that is always worth reminding during this season of celebration. 

As an adult, I have come to realize that the best Christmas wish coming true is not so much to make the holiday as festive and joyous as possible. Yes, we celebrate His resurrection. That is surely a cause for great joy. 

But at some point, His life on earth (how He lived it) must mean something to us. And it is personal no doubt, for personal reflection and processing. That is why in the above sentence I chose to express my Christmas wish as one “coming true” and not one that has already arrived.

It is a wish “coming true” because I am still work in progress, but at least, the keyword is progress. Sure, I can’t explain that to my kids, because their minds are only consumed with unwrapping the gifts. Well, that is only natural. 

But, yet, there is something supernatural about Christmas - not the date, but the person or life. It has a message beyond encountering an accident, beyond bad things happening, beyond possessions we surround ourselves with, beyond the Orchard Road decorations, and beyond the festive lights and the shiny star we satisfactorily put as a finishing touch on top of our bejewelled Christmas tree.  

And I think I have come full circle with my Christmas wish. And by now, you should know that I wish for no accident to happen to Rudolph. It is not about bad things happening in our life, which is unavoidable, but how we and our loved ones come together to pull through that brings the richness/reality of the Christmas' narration to life.

At this juncture, it should be noted that our life and insurance policy come together for a reason. They come together because we don’t expect it to be smooth. There will be “storm cloud” accidents - so to speak - and it is how we overcome it that, to me, brings out the true meaning of this empowering season, and for all seasons of life. 

I think philosopher Martha Nussbaum puts it best here: -

“To be a good human is to be a kind of openness to the world, an ability to trust uncertain things beyond your own control, that can lead you to be shattered in very extreme circumstances for which you were not to blame. That says something very important about the ethical life: that it is based on a trust in the uncertainty, and on a willingness to be exposed. It's based on being more like a plant than a jewel: something rather fragile, but whose very particular beauty is inseparable from that fragility." 

Indeed, my Christ is that beauty. Not as in a jewel, hard, but something fragile, approachable and identifiable, and it is that fragility that brings out His timeless beauty, that is, a beauty that was no doubt shattered in very extreme circumstances, but He went through it nevertheless, not running from it, because life is not about being cushioned by an "insurance-policy" mentality, it is however one that is insured by the way He lived His life which is summed up in these words: -

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

That is the meaning of Christmas for me, and it is the best Christmas wish I hope to keep unwrapping for all seasons of life, even at most times, most unwillingly amidst the tears. 

And I wish you an overcoming life too, a life always working towards progress, a life which keeps holding on to a hope that is unshakeable amidst the trials, and a joy that is beyond the shimmering glitters of this world. Amen. 

A Dark Christmas for Trump.

I wonder how Trump is going to celebrate Christmas. It is a tough week for him. In fact, it is a tough presidency for him. 

In today’s article “How Donald Trump got caught in a legal vice” by author and executive director of Bloomberg Opinion, Timothy L. O’Brien, he wrote this Grinch’s Christmas Trump list of notty and not nice: -

“The Trump Organisation, the Trump Foundation, the Trump family, the Trump transition, the Trump inauguration, the Trump White House are all being probed for wrongdoing.”

He added that the Mueller’s investigation into Trump’s collusion with the Russians to help his 2016 president compaign may have ”pull the many strands of the investigations together.” Talk about opening a can of worms.

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, said: “Let me point out that there are a lot of unanswered, legal and factual questions but clearly this was not a good week for President Trump, not for his campaign organisation and these allegations are concerning.”

So, what do they say about the latest legal woes he is facing? Fake news? Enemies of the people? Witch-hunt? Envy and jealousy? (Has Trump made clone out of us? It’s like tens of thousands of mini-Trumps roaming the streets?)

The real question is, do we now (finally) call a (rotten) apple a (rotten) apple? Or we shouldn’t accuse an innocent man before proven guilty - if ever proven guilty? 

You see, what started as an investigation into collusion, led to Michael Cohen’s admission that Trump suppressed information of his extramarital affairs with porn stars by paying them off and the National Enquirer buying over the stories to bury them. 

Question is, how would that look to the evangelical’s voters should his adultery with Stormy and MsDougal be made public just before the 2016 election? 

Will Trump then lose the Christian votes? 

Going by the way his religious supporters are pining for him, with one even saying that short of seeing Trump shooting his daughter, he will still vote for him, I think that answer to that question might just answer itself. Isn’t that a frightening presumption for the faith (if true)?

Here, I recall that Trump’s lawyers strongly advised him against accepting an invitation from Mueller to be examined by him for fear that it might just be a perjury trap. 

The irony of that is that as his legal trouble unravelled itself, Trump’s electoral college victory in November 2016 might just turn out to be a President trap for him. 

Timothy wrote that anything that Trump touches has not turned into gold as he has always craved after, but on the contrary, it has turned into a deep suspicion and bloomed into an investigation. Recall Trump Organisation, Trump Foundation, Trump family, Trump transition, Trump inauguration, Trump White House? It has his name all inscribed.

Timothy then wrote this: “If that’s the course the various investigations follow, then Mr Trump may emerge as a brazen grifter (con artist) who, by aspiring to the White House like a wizened, soiled version of Icarus, flew beyond the boundaries of his own luck and abilities and delivered his business into the hands of prosecutors.”

Mind you, and I am not even opening that Pandora’s box on his undisclosed tax statements which he has fiercely vowed to fight anyone who threatens to make it public. Mm...I wonder, what is he hiding from the people?

Lesson? Just one.

Over the months, I have seen how Christians (here and in America) have been fighting for this President, openly believing that beyond the prophesy that he is divinely appointed, Trump is also the anti-establishment saviour to set the country straight again and bring back good old biblical and moral values into the world like pro-life, pro-family, pro-Jerusalem, pro-prayers and pro-Christmas. (maybe we need a leader who is pro-Christ?) 

Honestly, I too wish that Trump could start coming to his senses. I too wish that I can write something positive about him, like his employment numbers and the growing economy. And maybe his fight for the farmers, storekeepers and bakers, and for traditional values is also worthy of some mention?

But while there are some positive developments coming out of his administration, the disturbing part is still about him and how he clumsily mixes business opportunism with his presidency, falsehoods with truths, praying with pastors with preying on women, praising himself and praising God, nepotism with honest and impartial government, and calling Christmas Christmas and not calling a spade a spade.

On so many levels, it is still a bewildering and incomprehensible leader whose only preoccupation as a president (it seems) is to make sure that everyone knows without questioning that he is a great president, if not the greatest, full stop. 

So, let me end on a cautious note to believers by asking, what is spiritual discernment? How do we know with a measure of certainty that a leader is just not what he claims to be?

Is it about the adultery? Well, King David did that. What’s the big deal? 

Is it about repeated denials in the face of truth? Well, Peter denied Jesus repeatedly in his face? So, don’t be so petty please. Look at the big picture.

Is it then about spreading falsehoods, covering up, blaming others, cowardice and shifting responsibility? Hey, tell me which one of Jesus’ disciples has not in one way or another trespassed those sins? Look at the infamous Iscariot. 

Well, the crucial (enduring) difference between them and Trump, at least for now, is that they all repented, set things right, paid the price, and gave themselves up for the purpose of the Cross. 

That is what distinguished them from the current president. And that is what it takes to discern right from wrong, and truth from falsehoods.

Santa's mystery solved?

Father Christmas is mystery no more. While the Lord still works in mysterious ways, scientists have finally solved the question of how an overweight, loud and aged Saint Nicholas could deliver all the presents in one night, fit into a narrow chimney and maneuver undetected in the still of the night.

Thanks to Einstein, Dr Katy Sheen (from the geography department of the British college) applied the theory of relativity to unlock the time and speed factors of Kris Kringle's Christmas escapades. Here's how it works, and I am going a little rogue on the science.

Now, we all know that time and space is relative to that of the speed of light. So, according to Dr Sheen, "Santa Claus and his reindeer would have to travel at about 10 million kmh - more than 200,000 times faster than Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man - to deliver presents to every children...in a span of 31 hours."

That's not all. The greater dilemma for the obese Mr Claus is the chimney. But as Santa approaches lightspeed, he takes on a more aerodynamic shape and he shrinks or gets thinner. That solves the weight issue. Then, how about his signature "Ho! Ho! Ho!" that would wake up the whole neighbour?

That's simple. Dr Sheen pins it down to the Doppler effect. Speed bends not just time and space, it also changes frequency - that is, sound waves - as the object approaches.

So, "as Santa Claus and his sleigh approach, the sound of bells and his deep "ho, ho, ho" would get higher and higher (like when an ambulance siren whizzes by) and then become completely silent, because he would move beyond human hearing range."

As an aside, for the philosophy student, so much for Occam’s razor (that is, when you have two explanations for a phenomenon, choose the simpler one). No one is thus going to die the cuts of a thousand qualifications here to explain that Santa Claus exists (aka Antony Flew).

Oops, you may ask: "How the heck is Santa going to travel that fast?" Dr Sheen sort of answered it. "Well, that's magic! However, he would certainly need a lot of fuel - so don't forget his glass of sherry, a mince pie or two, and some carrots for the reindeers!"

Lesson? ...

Alas, I am not going to lie to you guys anymore. I refuse to practise intellectual dishonesty. Santa Claus is a load of hogwash. He is as real as the fairies in the bottom of the pond or the little tiny teacup orbiting around the rings of Saturn.

But this doesn't change Christmas for us believers, right? They don't call it Christmas for nothing and the "Christ" in Christmas has to mean something right?

Maybe it has nothing to do with Einstein, the speed of light, or the Doppler effect. Maybe Christmas is about powers far greater than that, deeper and wider in effect.

Trust me, there is no magic in Christmas. No make-believe. No elves, pixie dusts or wishing wells. Christmas (not so much the day as it is the spirit of it) has always been about love. Love of family. Love of friends. Love of spouses and love of parents for their children.

And if we go behind the festivities, the champagne glasses, the presents, and the Christmas tree, Christmas is really all about relationship. More to the point, it is about a sacrifice that started it all.

There is therefore no magic in Christmas because Jesus needed no magic to demonstrate what his love means to the world. Yet far magical than magic, Jesus lived the most ordinary life to deliver the most extraordinary of transformations.

He was not intangible, a spirit or a hologram. He was no make-believe. He walked, talked and lived amongst the least of us. He is part of our history; not some fabled tale or rumored story.

Now, our Lord may work in mysterious ways, and he still does, but not Jesus. He came to redefine love, set the truth in our hearts, and burn a passion in us that would never die.

There are in fact three simple things that makes Christmas not only special but empowering: the towel and basin, the hearty supper and the Cross. The metanarrative in each of these things redefined and transformed the world.

And if you want to celebrate Christmas, whether you are a believer or not, you can't not talk about him, his teachings, his deeds, his sacrifice, his love. You may be hard-pressed to accept his claims, but you can't deny his acts, his heart and his impact.

No man I know came, existed and led with such clarity of purpose from birth to death, such humility of spirit from breath to breath, and such sacrifice of love from a heart that promises enduring rest.

So, this weekend, you can cut that juicy, stuffed turkey, slice into that bacon ham, and exchange the most expensive presents. But if you leave Christ out of Christmas, you leave out not a religious ritual in the celebration. You however leave behind the true meaning of Christmas, and that is, a love that gave all because it never gave up. Cheerz.

A Christmas Contrast 2015.

I see the contrast in two Straits Times reports yesterday. One report is entitled “A quiet Christmas in Brunei” and the other reads “Gathering place for the Karen.”

While the Bruneians are having their muted Christmas celebration because “the government has banned open displays of Christmas trees and Santa Claus figures since last year,” the Karen Baptist Church (KBC) – the only Church in Singapore formed by Karen Christians – are celebrating their “Karen New Year” openly and it has an attendance of 1500. Last year, 5000 of all religious persuasions came.

KBC began with 30 in 1997 and today, their weekly services conducted in Karen language has about 500. In Myanmar, the Karen people are still facing persecution and the refugee problem is heartbreaking.

Pastor Saw, who came to Singapore in 1995 and worked as an electrician for 15 years before “swopping his screwdrivers for sermon notes,” said, “My motivations are not political. I just want to help our community here, especially the lower-wage workers.”

In addition to the Church service, once a month, KBC members "make their way to the farms in the Lim Chu Kang area with food and necessities for Karen workers at the chicken farm.” At the roadside, lit by the streetlamp, Pastor Saw held “mini services, using the back of lorries as a makeshift stage.”

While one of the rationale for banning public Christmas celebration and disallowing Muslims from joining such celebration was explained by a cleric from Brunei’s Religious Affairs Ministry’s Propagation division as this, “If Muslims offer wishes of Merry Christmas, it means they give recognition to that religion and consider it to be acceptable to Allah. But that cannot be, as our religion says there is only one God, not many Gods,” Pastor Saw of KBC however has this to say about the mini-farm services held at the back of lorries, “some of the farm workers who come are not believers. But we welcome all; I will not turn them away because they are not Christians.”

Lesson? I have three.

1) Shared values.

In 1991, our government came up with the shared value white paper. GCT then wanted “to facilitate the formation of a coherent Singaporean identity.” He proposed five shared values and the sixth about “belief in God” was rejected because Singapore was to remain a secular state.

Now, secularism doesn’t mean hostility to religion and religious harmony has always been one of the cornerstones of our society. This is in fact the last and fifth value in the white paper. The other values has to do with “community and society above self” but this is balanced out by “regard and community support for the individual.” The other shared values are “family as the basic unit of society” and “consensus instead of contention” to accommodate different views.

More importantly, Singapore takes an open-minded and open-ended perspective on religious pluralism and not a closed and narrow one. It takes the good of religion and blends it with its national purpose of peaceful co-existence, and at the same time, is cautious about its excesses and possible political subversive tendencies when left to its own devices.

Personally, I am glad our government took the pre-emptive step/measure to set afoot and apace the firm and reassuring direction of our nation.

2) Community.

When the Maintenance of Religious Harmony white paper and Act were produced, there was a concern that Christian evangelism was getting too aggressive and the movement might be perceived as insensitive to the other religion. So, the government again took pre-emptive steps. GCT said in parliament that the Act was introduced “more in sorrow than with joy.”

Now, our government is not perfect, but I am glad they did some things right with vision and foresight. If you read the history of great empires, you will see a common thread that runs through them just before they begin to fall. Intolerance is one of the signs.

A great civilization always starts with enlightened tolerance or “intolerant with intolerance” where all are invited to build the community together. Then comes a regressive attitude I call “tolerant of intolerance.” This is where one powerful section of the community starts to break away and assume a form of racial, language or religious exceptionalism.

The fallout comes when this attitude sours into what I call “Intolerant with tolerance.” This is where the nation becomes demarcated, divided, and divisive. Our government therefore forestalled that eventuality with the passing of the religious harmony Act and the enunciation of the shared values.

Essentially, our government has made it clear that they are “anti-theocratic” but not “anti-religious” and “secular but not atheistic”. You can say that ours is a secular leadership with an agnostic soul.

And…finally,

3) Charity.

I want to end here with the humbling work of Pastor Saw of KBC. His all-embracing, non-discriminating attitude towards Christians and non-Christians alike is especially encouraging, uplifting, even refreshing.

His Church sets the example as Christ had set it when he invited all to come to his table of mercy, love and communal joy. At Calvary, the love of God is offered to all without exception, and it is offered free, unconditionally.

When Jesus was hung there, he had criminals for company. At his final moments, he offered them salvation regardless, and it matters not to him whether they are Jews or gentiles, penitent or not.

Jesus knew he did not come to save an ideology, a language, a government, a form of patriotism, or to preserve and perpetuate a race. He came to save us – a broken humanity and a common soul.

At Calvary, for that defining moment, Jesus had placed himself below humanity so that none of us can ever claim to be above it. And this is why we celebrate this season so openly. Because our joy for such a Savior cannot be contained. Merry Christmas to all! Cheerz.