Sheng Dan Jie/Felis Pasgua 

In Hong Kong, 圣诞快乐 (shèng dàn kuài lè) is the popular greeting for the season, spoken as salutation, or plastered on walls. Sheng dan jie literally means “happy birth of a saint holiday”; ye dan jie gets “Jesus” phonetically in as “ye”, (ye-su, like Iesu in Greek). Since we focus on the day rather than the idolatry of Jesus, we will stick with our title, something akin to the Felis Nabidat/Felis Pasgua/Feliz Navidad/Feliz Pasqua in Chamorro/Spanish.

A verbal rehearsal that gets particularly loud in my corner between Thanksgivanukkah and the calendared story of the journey of the infant child of Bethlehem to Golgotha and on to the empty tomb is the litany that follows, sentiment and structure, images and metaphor adopted and inspired from the literary eptitude of spirit warrior John P. Cock in his book, Motivation for the Great Work, an embodiment of his commitment to planet Earth:

Authentic living does not mean delivery of what our earnest desires strive for:

[I]long life
good health
financial stability
a marriage that works
loving children
a nice house
a solid job
sweet dreams
no pain
a good education
kind in-laws
responsible government
safe cities
comfortable taxes
good neighbors
cessation of wars
and the end of poverty.
[/I]

But Life does offer:

[I]unconditional love
in being regardless
healing of deep wounds
arms to embrace the fallen
faithfulness amid faithlessness
grace nevertheless
peace that passes understanding
a calling desired or not
courage amidst fear
purpose when lost
mercy without being asked
future beyond impossible
balm for grief unending
undeserved forgiveness
more freedom than one can handle
welcome home mat with open arms
resurrection in this life
comfort in pain
refuge when storms rage
rest when weary
hope against hope
light in the dark of night
joy unspeakable….[/I]

The various phrases capture images of a journey of that little babe in the manger in a season we call Christmas, narrated by gospel writers Matthew and Luke, and appropriated as a liberating and freeing story by many. I list myself among these folks, albeit more like the stable boy ready to rake the animal droppings rather than in the company of silk draped royals bringing myrrh, frankincense, and gold.

Life’s reality, for those who have eyes to see, is expressed in the movie of the Von Trapp family in the Sound of Music: when a familiar door closes, somehow new windows open elsewhere. In the awareness of John Epps, Theology of Surprise, Exploring Life’s Mysteries, life is just too full of surprises. For those who dare to be free, and freely care to be, life at every moment is a rebirth of wonders.

For those who take their faith seriously, particularly those in the tradition of Jesus the Christ, check out The Love of History and the Future of Christianity: Toward a Manifesto for a Next Christianity by Gene W. Marshall in HYPERLINK “http://www.realisticliving.org/”www.realisticliving.org.

In our hear-repeat opening ritual in school, I use the Chicago Westside 5th City preschool ritual, a shorter version of the litany above. This season, I intone a version of the ritual thus: “this is the reality I have. I can gratefully, compassionately and graciously live this life, or, waste it away, in resignation, fear, and despair. This is the life I have.” I live! Still, again, and, ever more.

Whatever your situation is, you can, too. Shèng dàn kuài lè!