Enhancement and Envy

The New York Times op-ed page has two intriguing articles about (perhaps indirectly) competition and society. Judith Warner, presumably without any unnatural brain enhancements (no, I'm not above cheap jokes), is not convinced that cognitive enhancements will improve the world, though she gives a fair summary of the arguments in favor. I tend to agree with her. If we need drugs to achieve something through the frenzied haze of our lives, perhaps we need less frenzy, less haze. A few months ago, however, the Economist was already in favor.

Sonja Lyubomirsky explains why, in spite of our current recession, people are generally happy. Evidently, we are less aware of our objective status than our status compared to others. If everyone is in trouble economically, we tend to be happier than if we are moderately prosperous compared to the exuberant prosperity of our neighbors. Envy runs deep.

Indeed, It is a Narnia Christmas

Today, I considered whether I should write, “Merry Christmas” at the end of an email I wrote to a client. Christmas is the day after tomorrow. (It doesn’t feel that way. There is something in me that thinks that, for such a significant celebration, we should leave work, as we left school, a week ahead of time) The Christian association of the holiday is becoming increasingly offensive in our pluralistic society. Google’s ecumenical happy holiday pictures are cute, but lacking of any depth because they fail to celebrate the spiritual significance Christians remember shortly after the darkest night of the year: light stepped into darkness. I did not know if the client was a Christian. I had not met him in person. From a business perspective, it was more important that I retain his good graces rather than remind him that the people in darkness had seen a great light. I supposed we don’t like to be reminded that we are in darkness. In any case, like Google, I kept it professional and shallow, wishing him a good holiday as I signed off.

In a New York Times op-ed, Lauren Miller’s antidote is to honestly celebrate what perhaps motivates most Americans to celebrate Christmas, “a collection of everything yearned for: warmth, plenty, peace, family, conviviality.” She points out how most everything in the Christmas tradition is a hodgepodge of Christian tradition, pagan mythology, and Victorian fantasy, and these fantasies should not be a bad thing. They leave the holiday doors open to those who, like her, are not Christians.

Her example in all of this is none other than C.S. Lewis. Miller authored The Magicians Book: A Skeptic’s Adventures in Narnia, which I am now interested in reading. Miller is not a Christian, as I mentioned earlier, but she celebrates Lewis’ fantasies as she celebrates Christmas, and writes about her yearly ritual of re-reading The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, with its snowy forests, appearance of Father Christmas and the restoration of a land, which is “always winter and never Christmas.” To the annoyance of some of his friends, include J.R.R. Tolkien, Lewis’ Narnia series mixes myths as much as Christmas does. Sure, there is Christian imagery in Narnia, but there is also pagan creatures liberally borrowed from, among others, Greek, German, Druid and Nordic myths. He pulls good things from all of them, ties them together with love, and creates a beautiful story. Why not do the same for Christmas?

For some of those same reasons, she points out, some conservative Christians, such as the Puritans in Colonial Boston, banned Christmas all together. (I went to a Christmas party at Reformed Theological Seminary, who are the theological kin of the Puritans. I am happy to report that there were festivities and feasting. Even the lecture on “Christmas according to Ecclesiastes” was uplifting. There was no beer, but progress has clearly been made). Given the rocky relationship between Christianity and Christmas, why should modern Christians attempt to make Christ the centerpiece of the Christmas season, much less have the audacity to invite others to do the same?

We are blessed to live in a free society, and the mythological hodgepodge is inevitable. Amongst the shopping, the stress, the decorations, the parties and the presents, a majority of Americans are probably merely seeking a few days off to be with loved ones. As human beings, we have every freedom to be post-modern and make Christmas what we want it to be with the help of a choice buffet of fantasy. But if this is where the holidays end, then I find this decisively unsatisfying, and, I argue, C.S. Lewis would, too.

A central theme to all of Lewis’ work is that the best parts of myths point to something, or rather, someone. (For that matter, he argued that much of nature, in death and resurrection, points there as well) Miller argues that “what binds all the elements of Lewis’ fantasy together is something more like love.” True, but as John points out, God is love. Aslan is central to the story because he represents love incarnate. In Lewis’ world, not to mention his life, fantasy was never meant to be a vague affirmation of whatever we want to believe. These are sign posts to something greater. One can hear the resurrected Aslan’s voice proclaim, “There is more magic.”

In an interview in Rolling Stone a few years back, the reporter asked Bono why he was a Christian. To paraphrase, he said that he could not get over the idea that God himself would enter the world as a human to rescue humanity. It’s for good reason that we (in the Northern hemisphere, in any case) celebrate Christmas a few days after the longest night of the year. We were in darkness. A quick examination of any life, much less the pages of any newspaper, would reveal that sin has infected us with darkness, and we cannot cure ourselves. Rather than leave us that way, God sent his Son to enter the world as a human some 2000 years ago. He both taught and demonstrated the life abundant. Then he faced God’s wrath in our place, and he overcame death in his resurrection. Lewis called the incarnation, God’s Son becoming a human baby, the Grand Miracle. This is what we celebrate at Christmas. This is not something like love, this is love, in the flesh, in the arms of a virgin, adored by shepherds.

This Christmas, if you yearn for warmth, plenty, peace, family and conviviality, I sincerely hope you receive it. I hope our fantasies of Father Christmas, evergreens and cinnamon cookies help you on your way. Deeper still, I hope you can go beyond these signposts. I hope you can follow the shepherds to Bethlehem of old, where the Son of God, love incarnate, lay in feeding trough. I hope the thought of God stepping into the world makes you want to follow him. Otherwise, I fear that you will sit in the dark winter, surrounded by red and green decorations, always holiday, but never Christmas.

Some notes on hope and peace for Christmas

Looking for some hope this Christmas? Peggy Noonan offers some perspective for Americans, considering the challenges we face. Even deeper and more universal are Catherine Claire Larson's thoughts on peace on earth, good will to men. Catherine has authored a companion book to Laura's film on forgiveness and reconciliation after the Rwandan genocide (I am anxious to read it). In her work, she has seen forgiveness bring peace on earth in a very unlikely place.

Unicef Photos of the Year

Der Spiegel has posted Unicef's photographs of the year. These pictures are disturbing and humane at the same time, windows into worlds that for many of us are just headlines. These lead us beyond prayers of obligation and unfeeling acts of charity or protest. It allows our prayers, charity and protest to meet our hearts and our imagine. Thanks and congratulations to the brave photographers who visited these places of terror and found glimpses of hope and humanity.

Sojourner's Peace and Justice Christmas

Sojourners has put their own twist in their "subversive sing-along" to the tune of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I'm sure you could sing it in your head as you read.

Have Yourself a Peace and Justice Christmas

Have yourself a peace and justice Christmas, Set your heart a-right.
Flee the malls and focus on Christ’s guiding light.
Have yourself a peace and justice Christmas, Give your time a way.
Share God’s love, And serve “the least of these” today.
Here we are, as we pray for peace,We’ll live simply and give more.
We care for those far and near to us,Which brings cheer to us, once more.
God brings down the haughty from high places, And lifts up the low.
God cares for the hungry and the humble, so –
Forget the stress and let the peace and justice flow!

Perhaps this is a good antidote to holiday consumerism (says the guy who typed this blog on his early Christmas present). In any case, Sojourners does have some practical tips for putting the words into practice, as well as a pledge to sign (I have never been a big fan of pledges or alter calls, though I appreciate their intentions). If you truly want to support peace and justice this Christmas, I suggest supporting orphans in Tanzania.

Even better than a blog

What could be better than a blog? How about a song sketchbook? Ben is posting rough "sketches" of new songs our pleasure and our judgment on the website of his band, the Northernness. He promises a new demo every Monday, and he already has posted two great ones. The current song is another online Advent listenable about Simeon's reflection after beholding the Messiah. Listen to it, and give him your suggestions, criticisms and shout-outs. 

Should this surprise us?

In yesterday's New York Times, Charles M. Blow notes, and perhaps mourns, that "hooking up" has surpassed dating as the predominant method of starting a romantic relationship among today's youth. His analysis, of course, is interesting. However, we should ask: now that we, as a society, have so successfully removed sex from the boundaries of marriage, should we be surprised to see sex removed from relationship as well?

Product Placement

I just noticed this, but when I linked to Bizarre Foods, guess who the sponsor was? Pepto-Bismol! 

She did it

I am a fan of the show Bizarre Foods, where Andrew Zimmern travels the globe and eats the strangest and most authentic foods of any local culture (one of the few reality shows I care to watch). It turns out my wife's friend April is just as brave. Check out her experience with live (well, almost) Octopus. 

Would you try it? The family vote is 1 to 1. I would, but my wife would not. 

Linked in

I added more links to the side of my blog. Take a lazy day, perhaps while it is raining and you are feeling reflective, and linger through these websites. Most of them are my friends. I've never met anyone from Over the Rhine, but you can listen to their beautiful music for free, and it goes well with rain and reflection. 

The Girl with Green Hair

Between the conservative suits of Washington, DC, the charcoal pants, the long black coats hiding lightly starched shirts and respectable ties, walked a girl with green hair. It was punk-rock green, the kind I saw in London, the kind I saw in high school. She had light, faded thrift-store jeans, and a short coat that clashed with her green hair (though I forget what color the coat was). No one had yet told her what everyone in Washington, DC knows. For the cause, for the campaign the last thing anyone needs is a coat that is not black. We need long black coats to cover our flawless suits. We need good posture, smooth faces for men and tasteful makeup for women. We need immaculate shoes that will never go out of style but bought new every time. We need tans without wrinkles and Hollywood teeth.

We need stylish hair of natural-looking colors. Certainly not green hair.

(Thank you for looking a little bit different, girl with green hair.)