16 January 2012

UNDER THE WATERFALL: Patrick ButlerLately it seems I'm hearing more people wishing that what happens at Christmas can last all year. I think it can — if we take another look at what really happened on Dec. 25, 2011.

For some, Dec. 25 is simply another day. But for approximately 1 billion people on the planet, Christmas Day — and hopefully its lingering perspective — is a time when the mind-boggling notion of the reality of God comes home.

Consider what people are "saying" at Christmas day by their actions. They are “commenting” on the nature of life and makeup of the universe. They are affirming there is an all-encompassing being throughout the vast reaches of space; there is an eternal Spirit inside our own bodies that sets us apart from animals; there is an intelligence that far outweighs our own, where wisdom, discernment, insight, understanding and knowledge resides; there is more to this rock we live on, in the remotest part of the galaxy, than meets the eye.

And that life itself is a “miracle” of an experience, so precious it cannot be found elsewhere in our solar system. Yet, in the darkness of space, we are not alone.

And by default, these beliefs say that – evolution or not – there is a God, therefore there is a purpose, therefore there is a standard and therefore there is a way we should then live. That's how Christmas can linger in the heart and mind.

It's not complicated. If there is a God, how should we then live our lives that this God gave us? This life is so rare, we've yet to find it with our radio telescopes, planetary landers or voyages slowly making their way through the frontier of space.

That's what Christmas is all about. It's a belief in something bigger, better and brighter than accidental birth, random living and meaningless death. If that's true, then it's mind-bending beyond comprehension. That's OK. I would expect nothing less from God. And there is no reason we can't have that attitude, perspective and corresponding joy of the resounding realization all year long.

On the other hand, if there is no God, this entire universe is an accident consisting of matter and lots and lots of time. In particular, life on this earth is a “happy accident” — if you call what we're going through as a world “happy.”

A scientist on National Public Radio a couple of years ago admitted that the “scientific community” had not “done such a good job communicating evolution.” More than 60 percent of Americans, he said, did not believe in concepts of evolution as presented.

Every year at Christmas, millions of Americans and hundreds of millions of people around the globe silently assert that they believe in God and not in a godless “happy accident” evolutionary process. The “vote” that life on Earth has been infused with life from God when they sing Christmas hymns about someone called “the Savior” and “The Light of the World” and about Earth rejoicing, or joy to the world, peace on earth, good will towards men with whom he is well pleased.

There are two ways to look at this phenomenon: all these people are deluded beyond imagination, or, they know something. For one, they understand life without God is counter-intuitive and does not make much sense.

It is said, “The wise still seek Him.” That is true for Christmas just past and hopefully throughout the year.  For those who decided to do that, Merry Christmas for 2012.

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