Sunday, December 20, 2020

Bill Crawford: A Sober Christmas Wish for More Peacemakers

“Tis the season to be jolly...”

Or is it?

The dictionary defines “jolly” as “in good spirits; gay; merry; cheerfully festive or convivial.” So, yes, it is the jolly season for children and grandchildren with holidays and presents galore.

But what about the rest of us?

In many ways ‘tis the season to be thankful. Access to COVID-19 vaccines is at hand, giving us hope for a virus-free normalcy soon. Interests rates are low, gas prices are low, and the stock market is at record levels. Most of us still have our jobs and our homes. Congress nears agreement for another round of stimulus to help those who are struggling. The nasty 2020 political season is coming to an end, though the nastiness will linger.

But, thankful is not jolly, reflecting the sober events we have endured this year.

The hope of Christmas spurs us to hope for more joy this coming year. But that hope must confront some cheerless realities.

The notion that we are “one nation, under God, indivisible” continues to unravel as bitterness and antagonism toward each other sever the ties that bind us together. As we clash with one another, we grow insensitive to mounting worldwide displacement and victimization of millions from famine, disease, natural disasters, ethnic cleansing, regional conflicts, and human trafficking. We also pay inadequate attention to state sponsored cyber wars and fractured alliances.

History suggests the underlying aggression of all this creates psychic kindling easy to ignite into major conflicts.

The “Preacher” told us in Ecclesiastes “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” So, you might say the season to be jolly has passed and the time to be thankful and sober has come.

That shouldn’t be unexpected. The Christmas season itself has a history of bouncing between periods of jolly festivity and sober ceremony. The early church celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus, but did not celebrate his birth. As a result, secular festivities for this season appeared before holy ceremonies. The ensuing competition for ascendancy between the two has continued since the Fourth Century.

The Preacher concluded his poetic series in Ecclesiastes 3 saying there is “a time for war, and a time for peace.” 

Some say the season of peace enforced by a strong America is passing as America corrodes from discord within. If so, the time for major conflict may soon be upon us.

Those who do celebrate the true meaning of Christmas know something else. The holy birthday heralded peace on earth to people of good will. So long as there are sufficient men and women of good will, we can avoid major conflict at home as well as abroad.

That’s the real gift we need this Christmas, more good souls who will keep the peace among us so we can keep the peace for the world. Growing and nurturing such peacemakers is our greatest challenge.

This sober Christmas season as we give the Lord thanks and praise, let us also pray that He will touch more souls to multiply the peacemakers among us.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” – Matthew 5:9.

Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.

 

 

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good article.

Anonymous said...

So many of us have it it so good for so long we think we actually deserve it and whine when there is a call for sacrifice in our lives. Yes, it is indeed a time to be thankful.

Anonymous said...

Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men...


One would think the first message delivered was important

Somehow though, these days, there's little New Testament and passages about loving thy neighbor and treating others as you want to be treated and turning the other cheek and the entire Sermon on the Mount get little focus.

I guess those parts of the Bible are pretty inconvenient to the politics of hate especially if you want to claim God is on your side and the other side is evil.

Anonymous said...

Being limp wristed, milquetoast centrists is how Evangelical Replublicans have allowed the demonic left to gain so much control. Enough is enough! I will not stand by why they (lacking any rules of engagement) turn this nation into a Democratic Peoples' Republic. Thank God for patriots like the Proud Boys who are taking the fight to the militant leftists!

Anonymous said...

Good article. Thanks. Hope you all have a great and blessed New Year! J.

Anonymous said...

@9:00 AM

The New Testament is so pacifist that it is almost as of the Romans (actually Flavius Josephus) cooked up the entire religion in order to quell rebellious messianic insurrectionists in occupied Judea. And the conspiracy worked so well that Ancient Rome still lives on through that creation to this day!

Ever wonder why the pagan holidays are all included in Christianity, but were merely renamed?

Pontifex Maximus was the name of the High Priest of the Imperial Cult of Jupiter before it was the title of the head of Holy Roman Catholic Church.

Anonymous said...

Weed is already legal in 4:05's community.

Anonymous said...

@4:45
Have you ever stopped to think why, after centuries of Christendom, our days and months are still named after Roman Gods or God Emperors?

It's The 21st of Mickey said...

Why, no, I have not 5:01. But will give your suggestion careful consideration - Next time I have absolutely nothing else to do.

Meanwhile.....don't tell me.....hold on....You're a member of the cancel-culture-club and want the names of months changed to Disney characters. Hold that thought.

Anonymous said...

12:45
Seek help. You have some sort of neurosis.
Also, turn off the retard box and read some history.



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Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


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Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

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In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

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This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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