What’s the connection between Christmas and WikiLeaks? Both involve the revealing of something hidden.
Both the parallels and the contrasts are interesting.....
First parallel then - WikiLeaks is the revealer of truth. Truth? Well, WikiLeaks is the revealer of things that are much more likely to be truth that the things that America (in particular) has been saying in public. And Christmas is the revealer (see bold above) of the Word who was from the beginning, who was with God and who was God. As reported in John’s biography this man Jesus in AD 30 stated very clearly, “I am the truth.”
Second parallel: WikiLeaks reveals the duplicity of mankind. So did Jesus – at the cost of his life. (Julian Assange watch out....) One of the recorded incidents of duplicity in John’s biography is that of the total restoration in Jerusalem of a man who had been 38 years paralysed – on a Sabbath day. In that way Jesus revealed his intended restoration of mankind from suffering and death – and disclosed his authority (God’s authority) over the Sabbath that had been instituted to be a blessing for the Jews (and for all) by Almighty God the Creator.
How did this restoration by Jesus reveal the duplicity of mankind? Because of it the national leaders plotted covertly to kill Jesus, the man who transformed and completely restored this life-long paraplegic. Truth is revealed. These AD 30 leaders were on a self-serving mission that nothing must disturb. They will do everything – secretly, of course – to stay in command, even kill. The stuff of WikiLeaks.....
What about an apparent contrast between Christmas and WikiLeaks? WikiLeaks is revealing things but Jesus appeared to be veiling things when he came as the babe of Bethlehem. He was, to all appearances, illegitimately conceived. He was born in a stable alongside animals, placed in an animal feeding trough, presented in the Temple with an offering appropriate to an impoverished child, and finally died a court-convicted, executed criminal.
Veiling things? Is that what God does? Conceals his glory in a baby? Announces it only to smelly shepherds and not to fragrant King Herod?
And even in his public ministry, this Jesus repeatedly avoided publicity, instructed the healed not to tell anyone, avoided completely the intention of the crowd that would make him their king. Yes, Christmas seems to veil things. WikiLeaks reveals them.
But look again at the words in bold above.
· “The Word was with God,
· the Word was God,
· the Word was made flesh,
· the Word dwelt among us and
· we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John, who was an eye-witness of Christ, a key follower of Christ is clear – “we did see his glory”. All that WikiLeaks has been able to do is to reveal matters about humankind – about world leaders and those at the higher levels of the hierarchy – matters very inglorious. Jesus’ glory, John says, is the glory shown by the Father’s only Son. Jesus’ glory is the glory of God, the unveiled glory of God.
John’s biography is the 1st century’s WikiLeaks. It does disclose inglorious mankind: the Herods, the Pharisees, the Pilates. But, vastly more significant, it discloses the glory of Jesus, of God Almighty, as being “full of grace and truth”? It’s the glory of becoming, for the sake of others, a baby in a stable, poor, despised – to save the poor and the despised and the evil. God Almighty, the gracious giver, the seeker and saviour of the lost.
What a disclosure! What a king! I could follow a man like that. |