POWIP Piece of Work In Progress

Christmas… For Sinners

I think I posted something similar last year or the year before. But it is worthy of repeating.

Why did God come to dwell among us? The answer is fascinating.

God is Eternal. The Holy Immortal One is Pure Goodness. Pure Holiness. Infinite Goodness.

A sin against God - even the slightest - is therefore infinite in nature. An offense demanding reparation - of infinite magnitude.

But man is finite. And his sacrifices are not limitless. Oh, he may sacrifice a pig, a cow... he may even sacrifice everything he owns... all of his wealth in order to reconcile himself to God who he has offended. But it is impossible to wash away the stain of even the smallest offenses to Pure Goodness, Pure Holiness, Infinite Purity.

Yet, the offense demands one of two things: Mercy on behalf of the offended or Justice for the offender.

When we say that by becoming flesh, God reconciled Mankind to Himself... When we say that God so loves us that he gave His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, over to us... we begin to comprehend the nature - the orientation of God Himself.

Mercy is what is provided us in this act of Love.

Emmanuel (Jesus) is "God among us." Mary, the Virgin Host to be, abides the Will of God, letting be done unto her as God requests. And by the Holy Spirit, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus, this Holocaust to be, is substantially present in her womb. He is born into this world - a world of His own making - among creatures of His own making - and at the first we see Him placed in a "manger" - a trough. The Baby Jesus has no place to rest among  His very own people.

The Messiah - Emmanuel - God Among us. The SINGULAR offering will suffice to reconcile Mankind. Only this UNIQUE and Infinite Sacrifice will do. Justice demands that in order to reconcile sinner to Infinite Goodness an Infinite Sacrifice be made. To balance the ledger of even the tiniest offense against God requires that an equally Infinite Holocaust be offered to Him.

There is only one such in the Universe: God Himself.

In order for Justice to be had - for Reconciliation to occur - for the Cosmic Equilibrium to be restored - God comes to us as Lamb to slaughter. All God All Man. Jesus.

We know the rest of the story...

But this is why we celebrate Christmas. It is the very beginning of our very salvation. The Birth. Of a helpless Infant. To our Mother. In a Manger. Among animals.

Without this SINGULAR act of Mercy, all of us would be literally doomed and without hope.

But with the Birth of the Christ - the Holocaust to be - we have real reason to celebrate: God's love for us, so ill-deserved, exceeds description. To a sinful and unrepentant people He hands Himself over. And in that Act of Love, we sense what He is ultimately after in return.

Lord, we are not worthy to receive you. But only say the word and we shall be healed.

Merry Christmas! Our Saviour is here!

The Un-Friended Man (Frienemy) – a List of Self-Accusations

The phenomenon of being un-friended is a fascinating one. One that has received more attention than ever - entirely due to the advent of social media. But I am here to tell you that being un-friended has been going on for years - long before the intertubes. I know because I am perhaps the most un-friended man on earth.

In the wake of my dear friend James's death, I have had a lot of time to think about the nature of our friendship. What I have said many times, both before and following his death, is that we were perhaps the only two people who could stand each other. I said this jokingly - to some extent... but always knowing that there was a sliver (if not more) of truth to it.

Of course nothing can replace a really close friendships interrupted by death.

But the fact remains that I have been extremely blessed throughout my lifetime to have had many fine friendships.

The key word here is "had."

1) I am a bad correspondent - I will confess it. Most of the people I have felt kinship with are similarly poor correspondents. So there's that. This is not to say I am not there when one gets in a jamb. Or that I am unable or unwilling to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my compatriots when the going gets rough.

2) I am a flake - I forget birthdays. I don't like large groups - so while the thought of going to a party is interesting, I would much rather stay at home. This goes for weddings and parties too. It's not unusual for me to say I'll be at someone's event... only to not show or back out at the last minute. I wonder if I have a sort of agoraphobia.

Even so, being the most un-friended man in America can't be solely accounted for based on being a bad correspondent and somewhat of a flake.

3) I am opinionated - I've gotten better over the years, as I have matured. I am learning to keep my mouth shut... This is something of a feat given my family's propensity to shoot off at the mouth. I have, in retrospect, been too open about my opinion with my friends. Becoming comfortable with them and presuming open and honest conversation is not only permitted, but desirable.

4) My expectations are too high - I am kind of old school in the sense that I value loyalty. I perhaps expect too much from people in this sense. Or, maybe, I overestimate their opinion of our friendship. I need to stop doing this. I can't tell you how many times I expected back-up of some sort from "close friends" and none came to me.

5) I am an interesting drinker-thinker - I like to argue/debate. I like to talk politics, religion, philosophy. It's very much fun for me to explore another's mind and thought patterns.

6) I am mean/harsh - as loving as I can be (I think), as supportive as I try to be (I feel like I am), as quickly as I rush to defend or assist those in need, I am mean. Unforgiving. Cruel. And occasionally, when I become disenchanted with a friend's behavior, I say so. And I tell them why. This is often seen as unnecessarily judgmental. I am not, for instance, okay with a friend cheating on his wife. Or somesuch similar thing.

7) I am argumentative and like to tease/badger. I have an ability to stay clamped on an issue/discussion over months/years.

There are other faults of mine that I probably am blowing off. Suffice to say, as many great friends as I have had, I have lost.

Perhaps the price for being my friend is too high.

But I am not a smothering friend by any means. I don't call anyone ever. Really. I don't email or forward silly emails. I don't expect anything like for people to remember my birthday (which I have to be reminded of myself). I don't do these things. I occasionally arrange to have a beer with 3 or 4 people after work. Albeit, these days I can only count maybe 4 people I could have a beer with that would likely be willing.

Just thought of another one:

8 - I hold grudges - even against people I once considered more or less close friends. Maybe especially toward them in the wake of feeling betrayed or let down or disappointed. Or slighted.

9) I write people off - I think another problem I have is my ability to write people completely off when there is a skirmish among us. I shouldn't do this. In a weird way, I am deeply loving but also incredibly unsympathetic to the same degree as it relates to friends and former-friends.

I appear to have some concept of friendship from yesteryear (an unrealistic expectation of loyalty and solidarity). I am stunned at what passes for true friendship these days. And what fails to qualify. Drinking buddies are best when they are friends first. Because drinking with someone for whom there is deep affinity is more fun than drinking with someone you only know vaguely.

A current good friend of mine says I "have a tendency to rub people the wrong way." I think it is both my personality (which of course I always think leans toward charming and entertaining (my mom thinks so too)) and my inability to keep my thoughts to myself. I think this is what this friend means. I don't know when to shut my pie hole. Or that I attack too vigorously this friend's position on this or that subject or that friend's actions with regard to this or that situation. But I "go there" always thinking I have earned the liberty of doing so (based on long-standing friendship and shared history). That is, I feel free to speak up (nay, am obligated to speak up) based on a responsibility to said friend and the sense I have earned the right to be open with them.

It is so that I am the most un-friended man in America. It is sad on the one hand. On the other hand, my dad and brothers and at least one sister are the same way.

To those of you who are my friends - I say to you I appreciate your friendship and care for you - if not love you - very, very much. But I will probably blow it. If that happens, just know I probably didn't mean to offend you (although maybe I did) to the quick. More likely, I was just playing. Or maybe felt an obligation to speak directly in a way that perhaps other, better friends of yours were unwilling but required nonetheless to so speak. So, I ask for your forgiveness in advance for the day when I step on your toes, go to far, push the envelope of your sensibilities, say something outrageous, etcetera.

To those of you whom I considered dear friends and who are no longer in my life, I say to you: I am sorry for having offended thee. I probably still care for you a great deal. I probably overestimated the depth of our friendship. I shouldn't have done/said the thing(s) I did and/or said. I probably acted badly. I was probably unduly harsh or direct. And I shouldn't have been. In some cases, I probably mourn our friendship.

To those of you I haven't met - it's probably best to steer clear.

Your (former/current/future) friend,

Enoch

ps.

10) I am a bad apology issuer, because I always feel the need to explain why I did/said what I did/said - I mean, I always feel the need to rationalize my harsh words and actions. So, before I say, "I am sorry. But..." I'll just stop writing.

11) I am sort of relentless.

12) I can be annoyingly sardonic.

13) I like saying/thinking "outrageous" things.

14) ...