Christmas portrays an innocence—a freedom from sin and guilt—that wise men and women, shepherds, and other toilers have yearned for through the ages. Finding such innocence involves a spiritual journey that includes lessons ranging from those derived from the infant son of a virgin to the scientific understanding of infinite goodness. This journey leads to a pure knowledge of God that precludes belief in evil as actual power or reality.
The Biblical chronicle of man's God-derived innocence, foreshadowing Christ Jesus' life and example, begins with the first chapter of the first book of the Holy Bible. There it is revealed that man, male and female, not only is created by God but is perceived as being very good—that is, without sin or the capability of sinning. Subsequent allegorical and historical accounts of sinful behavior dimmed the vision of this ideal man. Christmas offers an opportunity to clear the vision and rediscover the genuine, incorruptible, sinless nature of us all.
Why do we celebrate each year, on a date historically inauthentic, the birth of a babe? Might it not be that, whether we realize it or not, Jesus' birth and saving ministry show us who we actually are as God's children? They illustrate that despite human appearances, God is the Father of us all; therefore the true genesis of our being is immaculate, our real substance is always new, a fresh flowering of eternal Life. Viewing our origin from this perspective, we see that redemption is not really a patchwork reconstruction of a mortal. It is the reappearing of a perfection that is inherent in man and inviolate.
