Barely twenty-four hours into the Twelve Days of Christmas, Christianity’s liturgical mythologization of the birth of Jesus and the recognition of his infant holiness, South Asia was rocked by one of the worst natural disasters in a century. The juxtaposition of the sublime and horrific is so staggering that it might leave many seriously questioning the premise of a loving God and a persuasive Savior. Theologians may prattle about the unfathomability of God, or the laws of karma, or the power destiny, and none of that helps assuage the pain or mitigate the overwhelming horror that nature can wreak on an unsuspecting humanity. The exhortation to the faithful to “search the scriptures” can easily fall flat, as if to avoid the intensity of our experience, but it can also prompt us, in sheer desperation, to dig deeper in search of some seed of hope.

If we do take the time to ponder the Christmas story as it has been passed down to us, there are some elements that jump out to speak to the reality of life’s pain and difficulty in general, and the intensity of loss and uncertainty in particular. Jesus was not born into a life of ease or comfort. His family experienced displacement, exile, and uncertainty. Yet, while an infant, both common shepherds some reputedly wise men (and at least one wise woman) saw divinity and fulfillment of great hope and expectation in the innocence of this newborn life. This recognition points beyond the usual interpretation of the epiphany to the fundamental issue that not just the life of Jesus, but life itself is a manifestation of the divine, in which we all are participants. Moreover, those who perceived divinity in the Christ child were not relatives or friends of the family predisposed to doting on the newborn. They included both locals and foreigners, making clear that neither divinity nor hope has any cultural monopoly. Recognition of the divine is innately human. It transcends national, social, and religious identities. But, however inborn our capacity to see it, it often comes to us only after considerable effort. In the case of the mysterious three sages of the East, they had to endure a long and difficult journey before the revelation, but when they arrived at their destination, experienced an Epiphany in the child they saw.

So what does it mean to pass on a story that God does not show up primarily with pomp and glory but in humility and adversity, and inspires both the wise and ordinary people to find redemption in humanity? How does that message speak to our experience today?

It is a recurring phenomenon that tragedy brings more than suffering. It often brings out the best in us, triggering a response of compassion we may not have even realized we had. In the face of death and violence, it is notable that people of faith often fare better than those who have none. There is a reason for this. Faith is an indication of trust that there is something that transcends the immediacy and limitations of our present reality. The psychological effects of being able to look beyond the apparent negativity of the moment and find some higher purpose, guiding principle or redeeming element that permits us not to be overcome and incapacitated by our fear or grief, is of enormous practical benefit. The ability to see and experience suffering- our own or others- without becoming so identified with it that we are paralyzed by its enormity, is a gift that grows through spiritual practice. Cultivating the awareness of the divine presence in all circumstances, even, or perhaps especially in the difficult ones, though a learned behavior, is an effective antidote to much of our sense of helplessness and hopelessness. It not only alleviates our own suffering, thereby freeing us to respond more effectively to the needs of those around us, but inspires hope in others too.

Crisis not only impels us to seek a higher power, it cuts through the apathy and indifference with which we easily clothe ourselves, and allows us to feel directly the fundamental truth that we are, in fact, interconnected with the rest of our race- regardless of ethnicity, culture, nationality, or religious tradition. We all understand pain, and we are affected by the suffering of others- even though we often try to insulate ourselves from that fact. Crisis slices through that insulation, and though it exposes our vulnerability, it also reveals something invincible in the human spirit. No wonder so many cultures have foundational myths of resurrection. They express the human ability to rise, phoenix-like from the ashes of disaster and loss, and find new life, create new beginnings, and pass on an enduring legacy of hope. Christianity may not have a monopoly on that resurrection image, but it certainly expresses it magnificently through the story of a life begun in improbable and uncomfortable circumstances. That life was not only extraordinary and sacred in itself, but in the remarkable power it had to inspire a sense of community based on compassion for all, especially the suffering and the disenfranchised.

So, in the inimitable fashion of divine revelations and epiphanies, through calamity God has given the world another opportunity to find the best in our humanity, to reach out to each other in compassion, and to put aside differences of politics, class, ethnicity and religion. In a world ravaged by wars and ideological struggles, we are faced with a natural disaster impartially affecting millions- Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians from all over South Asia. It is as if a Higher Power was telling us all “Enough of sectarian partisanship, enough of politics, enough of seeing or creating differences. I am showing you both your oneness and Mine. Rise to the occasion, and turn tragedy into an opportunity of redemption and discover the real value of life and love.”

Reach out and reach in. In prayer, in pondering both the tenacity and fragility of life and your own participation in both, and in giving something of yourself to others, contribute your time, your talent, your treasure to whatever relief effort or charity you may choose. Allow yourself to experience your own connectedness with our brothers and sisters in South Asia., and by the power of grace, you may find your own sense of difference and limitation diminished and your joy and worth enhanced. Do not be overwhelmed by your helplessness to prevent disaster or ease the suffering it may cause, but rather learn from it and embrace the opportunity to participate in healing and rebuilding. Every effort is cumulative and makes a difference, no matter what its size. Every thought and action on behalf of the suffering is part of a wave of regeneration that can be even greater than the terrifying wall of water that washed away so many lives and livelihoods. The enduring lesson of the Holy Day season is that life is precious, and ultimately triumphs over death. It is our responsibility to use our own lives positively. We have need of that Epiphany in the face of so much suffering.


Robert H. Stucky is the Executive Director of Faith In Diversity Institute.

Copyright © 2004 by Faith In Diversity Institute