The most notable anti-Christmas villain in literature is probably Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge was a mean-spirited, selfish, self centred old, well, scrooge, with not a thought for the goodwill of others less fortunate.
He now has some serious competitors in the persons of Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, and Eric Cantor.
As the doors of Congress close for “the holidays”, the tenants or “occupiers” will now find themselves on planes, trains and cars heading to the comfort and luxury of home, intoning smugly and quietly to themselves Chris Lea’s “I am driving home for Christmas” with breezy indifference to the plight of those left to fend for themselves.
At home they will be greeted by happy and doting family members, full larders, decorated Christmas trees and the expectation of happy family gatherings around elaborately adorned dinner tables.
Meanwhile those without jobs and income, out in the cold, are unable to provide food, far less ornate gifts for their loved ones.
Ironically, the lavish salaries with which the Republican legislators supply all their needs and largesse, are provided for them from the wages of the very people they deny food! Or perhaps not, perhaps they are guaranteed by the providence of the likes of the Koch Brothers and the Waltons.
Where, oh where have their consciences fled to!
The unemployed who occupy “Wall Street” across the country, can be heard wailing:
“The rich you protect with your lives have left me destitute;
they have rendered my savings and investments worthless;
they have caused me to go under water with my mortgage;
they have stolen my home;
they have increased the cost of my essentials;
they have stripped me of my means of livelihood and my self esteem.”
The consolation you have for me is that I should “go get a job after I get a bath”. You do not even sense the inhumanity in your callous, insulting words. You repeat endlessly until you convince even yourselves that they do not have a unified message or indeed any message at all. You ask why do they march? why do they occupy? why do they not articulate their vision? as if it is not self evident to everyone with an iota of common sense.
You are now quite devoid of feeling, hardened by your penchant to say no to everything asked of you.
You good Christian Republicans should take the words of Frances Duron to heart: If we want to capture the interest of the heathen, we must first divert his attention from his stomach.
The way I have heard it, the good Republican is first and foremost a Christian, a man and woman of impeccable faith, ever ready to obey the commandments and to do righteous things. Here is a command to consider: “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Matthew 19:21.
Yes, sell your obstinacy, sell your refusal to support legislation that will provide jobs for others, sell your fixation on dislodging your President, sell your lust for power and control, sell your sense of entitlement to the throne, sell the hatred that is tearing at your heart.
If it is not too late to get that Christmas feeling, change your heart for the season of Goodwill, remember what you say you believe in, and go and pass the Jobs Bill that will put people back to work. Feed the hungry as you were commanded:
“I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?Then He will answer them saying Assuredly, I say to you, in as much as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew:25:43-45.
So be careful. As you celebrate the birth of His son, remember, from a distance God is watching us.
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