The beautiful and wonder-filled Christmas stories we all grew up with are still a source of joy and have sacred meaning for many people. They are also a potential problem for those at the Orange/ Modern and the Green/Post-Modern levels of development. To the modern mind, the stories about the visiting angels, a guiding star, and the virgin birth of Jesus are hard to believe. They look at these stories through a scientific, rational lens and many walk away from religion because of the churches’ literal interpretation of these and other related stories. Those at the post-modern level also reject a literal belief in the Christmas stories, but they can take a more nuanced perspective and consider the historical and cultural context from which they came. Many, however, are also choosing to leave the church behind, as we see in declining numbers in the pews.
So where does that leave those who find the Christian mythology to be unbelievable and are not sure they want to stay in the church? Are they left only with Christmas as the season of giving or their fun memories of Santa Claus from childhood? Or perhaps Christmas is primarily about family time together? John Shelby Spong, who served as bishop of the Episcopal Church of Newark, New Jersey from 1979-2000, wrote several books before he died in 2021, including one in his later years entitled Unbelievable. Spong said the problem for Christianity is that the church has frozen its first-century explanations of the Jesus experience, and then its fourth-century creedal statements as literal truth. He offers some hope and perspective, and advocates for a direct experience of God, Oneness, and pure Wholeness, rather than focusing on our institutionalized explanations of God. He describes this as experiencing God as the Source of Life, the Source of Love, and as the Ground of Being. As a Christian, he still saw Jesus as the gateway into this reality.
As we evolve up to the Yellow/Integral perspective, we can see that we have more choices than to just accept the Christmas stories as literal truth or to walk away from our religion. We are reminded that as we evolve, we are called to transcend and include, not just transcend and reject. How can we include the magic of Christmas stories without getting hung up on a literal interpretation? Perhaps by reflecting on deeper meaning, as we might do when reading poetry or great literature, we can rediscover the awe and wonder we may have lost. The virgin birth, for example, speaks to the divine entering the human experience in a new way, the marriage of heaven and earth. Does this poetically describe the majesty of Jesus as the Christ, who later showed us the way to live fully, love wastefully, and be all that we are meant to be, as Shelby Spong puts it? I believe we can participate in the sacred stories, songs, and rituals of Christmas, see them for what they are in their context, and embrace their deeper truth and beauty without compromising our integrity.
Therapy Tip
The virgin birth is linked to the larger story of original sin and the need to be saved from a God who proclaims we deserve eternal suffering and Hell. This belief, as discussed in previous articles, is loaded with shame and painful memories for some of us. The holidays may also trigger painful memories of family dysfunction and abuse for you, or perhaps it is a lonely time because of losses you have suffered. Often, a change of perspective, as noted above, can change how we think and feel about these concerns. It is always important to be patient and kind to yourself as you sit quietly with these difficult feelings. Perhaps, you may also open your heart to the spirit of the season and embrace the core message of love and wholeness that Jesus brought into the world.