Don’t use that “C” Word!

Something is getting a little out of control it seems. And before you start thinking I am some sort of control freak, I do love it when things go a bit wild and change happens.

But this issue is weird at best. At its worst it is pretence, desecration and a complete lack of respect for the intelligence of good people.

Recently I have been receiving lots of emails wishing me “Happy Holidays”. What is that? I am not going on holidays. In fact, between now and March I will probably take one day off – by choice. That day will be Christmas Day, but if I am really honest, I will probably work Christmas Day too.

Before your mind starts in a spin over that, just know I am deeply passionate about my work and it is a great time of year. There is a lot to do. My kids are all grown and have good and full lives. We will have dinner Thursday night and will surely catch up a few times over the next couple of weeks.

But what’s with the “Happy Holidays” thing. I think someone is avoiding the “C” word.

Political Correctness is about having good manners, behaving ethically and operating by your moral code. Doing the right thing is good for a society. But somewhere along the line this has all been skewed into something else.

Right up front I will state that I was raised Roman Catholic, but did step out of that religion when I was 21. There were too many questions unanswered for me and I needed to step back and explore in other directions.

But, I still love Christmas. It is a time for reflection, for connecting, for remembering who everybody really is, exchanging meaningful gifts and taking time out to celebrate the foundations of Christianity and all of the values it holds. I may have stepped away from the Church but I believe Christianity in its true sense is very much about living a good and honourable life and being kind, compassionate and good to others and having reverence for one’s own life whilst acknowledging the presence of something far greater.

I see Christmas as a time for all of us to reconnect with these things. I feel it is more powerful if we do it openly, honourably and with courage. There is nothing in Christmas that could possibly be offensive to any good person. Yet, some of us are seeking to play it down or conceal it. I feel these actions are not aligned with living a Christian Life. I feel it is a profanation.

I am wondering if we are worried about the judgements of others because we ourselves have harsh judgements on others. If I critical of your religion, or your lifestyle, I am bound to suspect you are critical of mind. Then, I will probably find evidence of that in something you say or in a look you give.

Perhaps we as a largely Christian Country have some harsh judgements and intolerances on the religious beliefs, practices and rituals of others. Of course, if we do, and they are completely unfounded, we will suspect them being critical of us. And of course we will find the proof, perhaps in the rantings of a crazed, hate filled individual.

If we really want peace on this planet, and I will work hard to the end of my life to see that happen, I really believe we need to not just be tolerant but to actually get interested in others, seek to understand them and their choices and then to have deep reverence for their religious practices and rituals.

It is pretty clear most of us fear what we do not understand. When we do fear something, we get a choice to either seek to understand, or to oppose it, make it wrong and try to shut it down. If we take the courageous step of seeking to understand, then we can change the world.

In Australia over the last 35 years, we have been exposed to great change. Sitting with Susan Higgins yesterday who has recently left her role at The Beacon Foundation, I learned that in some schools in Melbourne’s suburbs, there are up to 70 different languages. I have to be truthful and say that it took me a while to let that in.

Back when I was a kid there were Catholics and those who were not. I used to worry that the non-Catholic kids would think we were weird. It is funny to reflect on.

But now we have all sorts of religions in our midst and a significant one of those is Islam. Many of us either fear Islam or simply do not understand it. For some of us, we think it is weird, extremist, wrong or something else less than kind.

But, from my learnings, in its true form, I see it as every bit as beautiful a religion as Christianity, Buddhism, Hindu, Taoism and others. Some of the practices of these religions may not be something that appeal to you and that is fine. They do not appeal to me either. But I can still have reverence for them.

So here is my take on all of this. Perhaps instead of backing away from our traditional celebrations, let’s step forward into them and enjoy them. Then, when our neighbours of a different background or faith have their religious celebrations, let’s seek to learn about it, support it and offer our blessings. And please trust me – you are not going to catch anything.

Let’s step up to the plate and live our lives and show joy when others live theirs.

If you find you really struggle to get past your judgements and find it difficult to be understanding and compassionate, that is ok. Admitting that to yourself is a courageous step. The mind can be a tricky place. Drop me a note if you might like some study material to help you out.