A Christmas Letter from God
 (Reproduced from the New Day Herald)

My dear children (and believe Me, that’s all of you), I consider myself a pretty patient guy. I mean, look at the Grand Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right. And how about evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that Darwinian thing to take place, cell by cell, and gene by gene. I’ve been patient through your fashions, civilisations, wars and schemes, and the countless ways you take Me for granted until you get yourselves into big trouble again and again.

But on this occasion of My Son’s birthday, I want to let you know about some of the things that are starting to tick Me off.

First of all, there’s your religious rivalries which are driving Me up the wall. Enough already! Let’s get one thing straight These are your religions,. not Mine. I’m the whole enchilada. I’m beyond them all. Every one of your religions claims there’s only one of Me (which, by the way, is absolutely true). But in the very next breath, each religion claims it’s My favourite one. And it claims its "book" was written personally by Me, and that all the others are man-made. Oh Me. How can I begin to put a stop to such complicated nonsense?

OK, listen. I’m your Father and your Mother, and I don’t play favourites among my children. Also, I hate to break it to you, but I don’t write. My longhand is awful, and I’ve always been more of a doer anyway. So, all of your books, including those bibles, were written by men and women. They were inspired, remarkable people, but they also made mistakes here and there. I made sure of that; so you would never trust a written word more than your own living heart. You see, one human being to Me is worth more than all the Holy Books in the world. That’s just the way I am. My spirit is not an historical thing - it’s alive right here, right now, as fresh as your next breath.

Holy Books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but not more so than the least of you. They were only meant to steer you in the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other, and certainly not to keep you from trusting your own personal connection with me.

Which brings Me to my next point. You act like I need your religions to stick up for Me or win souls; for My sake. Please, don’t do me any favours. I can stand quite well on my own, thank you. I do not need constant credit. I just want you to be good to each other.

The thing is, I want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort of loyalty pledge to Me. The true purpose of your religions is so that you can become more aware of Me, I know you already. I know what’s in each of your hearts, and I love you with no strings attached. Lighten up and enjoy Me. That’s what religion is best for.

What you seem to forget is how mysterious I am. You look at the petty differences in your Scriptures and say, "Well, if this is the truth, then that can’t be." But instead of trying to figure out My paradoxes and unfathomable nature - which, by the way, you will never do - why not open your hearts to the simple common threads in every religion?

You know what I am talking about - love and respect everyone. Be kind. Even when life is scary or confusing take courage and be of good cheer, for I am always with you. Learn how to be quiet, so you can hear My still, small voice (I don’t like to shout). Leave the world a better place by living your life with dignity and gracefulness, for you are My own child. Hold back nothing from life, for the parts of you that can die, surely will, and the parts that can’t, won’t So don’t worry, be happy. (I stole that last line from Bobby McFerrin, but who do you think gave it to him in the first place?)

Simple stuffs. Why do you keep making it so complicated? It’s like you’re always looking for an excuse to be upset. And I’m very tired of being your main excuse. Do you think I care whether you call Me God, Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, Wakantonka, Brahma, Mother or even Void of Nirvana? Do you think I care which of My children you feel closest to - Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed or any of the others? You can call me and my special ones any name you choose, if only you would go about My business of loving one another as I love you. How can you keep neglecting something so simple?

I am not telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your religions, learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honour, learn from your parents. But do you walk around telling everyone that your parents are better than theirs? Your religion, like your parents, may always have the most special place in your heart; I don’t mind that at all. And l don’t want you to combine all the Great Traditions in One Big Mess. Each religion is unique for a reason. Each has a unique style so that people can find the best path for themselves. But my special children - the ones your religions revolve around - all live in the same place (My heart) and they get along perfectly, I assure you. The clergy must stop creating a myth of sibling rivalry where there is none.

My blessed children of Earth, the world has grown too small for your pervasive religious bigotries and confusion. The whole planet is connected by air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax machines. rock concerts, diseases and mutual needs and concerns. Get with the program! If you really want to help Me celebrate My Son’s birthday, then commit yourselves to figuring out how to feed your hungry, how to clothe your naked, protect your abused, and shelter your poor. And just as importantly, make your own everyday life a shining example of kindness and good humour. I’ve given you all the resources you need, if only you abandon your fear of each other and begin living, loving and laughing together.

Finally, My children everywhere, remember the one whose birth we honour on December 25th, and the fearlessness with which He chose to live and die. As I love Him, so do I love each one of you. I’m not really cross with you. I just wanted to grab your attention because I hate to see.-you suffer. But I gave you free will, so what can I do now, other than try to influence you through reason, persuasion, and a little old fashioned guilt and manipulation? After all, I am the original Jewish Mother - I just want you to be happy.

I really am, indeed, I swear, with you always. Always. Trust Me.

Your One and Only,

God

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