Sometimes we miss the message. Other times, we might get a glimpse of it, but then we forget it all together.
It can be easy to misinterpret things. Especially when someone is speaking to us in parables.
Today, we celebrated the birthday of Jesus. We are probably in the ballpark with the 25th. But the actual date can’t be nailed down, absolutely. As it is, Jesus was a Capricorn. Here’s what I found on them:
Capricorn Strengths: Responsible, disciplined, self-control, good managers (see the loaves and fishes story)
Capricorn Weaknesses: Know-it-all, unforgiving, condescending, expecting the worst (he called it at the end)
Capricorn likes: Family, tradition, music, understated status, quality craftsmanship (son of a carpenter)
Capricorn dislikes: Almost everything at some point
Hey. Maybe Jesus transcended his Capricorn-ism. From most of the stories, he seemed pretty forgiving. But let’s face it. When you come right down to it, God is a real know-it-all.
Anyway. Before him, we just had the Ten Commandments. Moses. Burning Bush. Ten rules. Then, once Jesus came around and started chatting things up with us, he gave one more commandment.
Only one more commandment in ALL the things he said.
It goes:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Love one another.
He even shared his birthday with a wide range of “one anothers” and here’s the short list.
1642 Isaac Newton, English physicist, mathematician and astronomer (Gravity, Laws of Motion), born in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, England (d. 1727)
1821 Clara Barton, American nurse and founder of the American Red Cross, born in North Oxford, Massachusetts (d. 1912)
1876 Muhammad Ali Jinnah [Mahomedali Jinnahbhai], Founder of Pakistan who led the All-India Muslim League, born in Karachi, Bombay Presidency, British India (d. 1948)
1899 Humphrey Bogart, American actor (Casablanca – “Here’s looking at you, kid”), born in NYC, New York (d. 1957)
1918 Anwar Sadat, 3rd President of Egypt (1970-81, Nobel 1978), born in Monufia, Egypt (d. 1981)
1949 Sissy Spacek, American Actress (Carrie, Badlands, Coal Miner’s Daughter), born in Quitman, Texas
1954 Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Mexican drug lord and escape artist, born in La Tuna, Sinaloa, Mexico
1958 Rickey Henderson, American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder (MLB stolen base record), born in Chicago, Illinois
1971 Dido, English pop singer (Eminem’s ‘Stan’, ‘No Angel’), born in London, England
1971 Justin Trudeau, 23rd Prime Minister of Canada, born in Ottawa, Ontario
And millions more. Every one, as different as the next.
Merry Christmas, I say to you. And in the tradition of Jesus, may we all carry love in our hearts. And leave the judging for the guy who knows it all.
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“Love is like the wind, you can’t see it but you can feel it.”
― Nicholas Sparks
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“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin
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“And, in the end
The love you take
is equal to the love you make.”
― Paul McCartney
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