My annual message for the season

[thatcrazycajun]

Posted here every year around this time since 2003, perhaps the single most truthful, most meaningful statement of what Jesus Christ's birthday is supposed to be about since Linus' in A Charlie Brown Christmas. It comes to us courtesy of lead actor Bill Murray as Francis Xavier "Frank" Cross, Superman: The Movie director Richard Donner and screenwriters Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue, in their 1988 Dickens sendup, Scrooged:

"It's Christmas Eve. It's the one night of the year where we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more...for a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be. It's really sort of a miracle, because it happens every Christmas Eve…and if you waste that miracle, you're gonna burn for it. Trust me -- I know what I'm talking about.

"You have to do something, you have to take a chance, you do have to get involved. There are people that are having trouble making their miracle happen. There are people who don't have enough to eat, there are people that are cold...you can go out and say 'hello' to these people. You can take an old blanket out of the closet and say, 'Here!' You can make them a sandwich and say, 'Oh, by the way, here!'

"I get it now! If you give, then it can happen...then the miracle can happen to you. It's not just the poor and hungry, it's everybody who's gotta have this miracle! And it can happen tonight for all of you! If you believe in this spirit thing, the miracle will happen...and then you'll want it to happen again tomorrow. You won't be one of those assholes who say Christmas is once a year and it's a fraud; it's not! It can happen every day; you've just got to want that feeling. And if you like it, and you want it, you'll get greedy for it...you'll want it every day of your life. And it can happen to you.

"I believe in it now! I believe it's gonna happen to me now, and I'm ready for it. It's great! It's a good feeling...it's better than I've felt in a long time! I'm ready....

"Have a Merry Christmas, everyone."

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

It gets cold and dark, but it gets warm again. Things die, new things are born. In the time of the year it is darkest, we celebrate the hope that things, no matter how bad, will get better again. It is no coincidence that almost every major religion on the planet - Judaism, Buddhism, and almost all of the re-creations of things based on ancient pantheons - has some kind of a celebration this time of the year. The Universe knows it's time to party - and also time to contemplate what we wish to do with the coming year.

Whether you celebrate Haunnukah, Solstice, Festivus, Christmas, Buddah's Birthday, or Kwanzaa, may you celebrate with Joy. (And I think I got'em all in order... :)