Saturday, December 25, 2004
Merry Christmas! Pretty uneventful here. Nice chat with a friend in Massachusetts (who also sent Ed Sanders' "1968"). Missed a call from Jim C. cause I was napping with headphones on. Had lunch with Bruce L. yesterday, here from California for just a few days. The people in the next apartment had the Christmas music cranked up for four full hours this afternoon, ai yi yi. They've been playing it since early November. Now slide into 2005 & the four longest weeks of the year - January. Fabulous how Victoria, a town southeast of Houston, got 12 inches of snow on Friday. It was by far the most ever recorded there, & the first white Christmas since the place got an inch on the 25th 86 years ago. A dream come true for the kids.
Go ahead & wish Merry Christmas to the Indians working at the convenience store. Chances are they are Gujaratis who practice a particularly devotional form of Hinduism; the festivities of Christmas with all the music, food & colorful decorations most resemble their own, & they have high regard for Jesus of Nazareth - but do not consider him or his message to be unique; they have no desire to be converted to Christianity or to make Hindus of Christians. Many Indians believe Jesus traveled to India as a young man, bringing back with him the ideas that got him in trouble with the Pharisees, that is, a certain practical laxity with regard to legalistic Judaism & a tolerant, compassionate attitude toward sinners & gentiles. I'm not sure about that, but it is known that Nazarene Judaism could be rather informal, & folks there had intimate contact with caravans from lands farther east. & let's not forget the astrological implications of those wise men coming to Bethlehem.
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"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
Go ahead & wish Merry Christmas to the Indians working at the convenience store. Chances are they are Gujaratis who practice a particularly devotional form of Hinduism; the festivities of Christmas with all the music, food & colorful decorations most resemble their own, & they have high regard for Jesus of Nazareth - but do not consider him or his message to be unique; they have no desire to be converted to Christianity or to make Hindus of Christians. Many Indians believe Jesus traveled to India as a young man, bringing back with him the ideas that got him in trouble with the Pharisees, that is, a certain practical laxity with regard to legalistic Judaism & a tolerant, compassionate attitude toward sinners & gentiles. I'm not sure about that, but it is known that Nazarene Judaism could be rather informal, & folks there had intimate contact with caravans from lands farther east. & let's not forget the astrological implications of those wise men coming to Bethlehem.
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