Those who celebrate Christmas must look past the bells and whistles and pay attention to the Christmas story. The story of Christ’s birth is a statement. That God is on the side of justice and the oppressed.
Christ’s birth triggered fear in the heart of the tyrant king and provoked celebration & joy in the hearts of the poor shepherds. Desmond Tutu understood what it meant to follow the same Christ 2000 years later in an oppressive and humiliating apartheid system.
Archbishop Tutu used to say : “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
The Archbishop has finished his journey on earth. He now meets the One who commissioned him for the persistent journey of justice in God’s world. A life is worth a trillion words.
Photo by Jmquez on Wikipedia Commons
