​

 

THE ETERNEL CHRISTMAS

From the pages of - Unity-1925, Vol 63, pages 514-517

Francis J. Gable

​

MAN LONG has followed the custom of keeping before him outer symbols to make him ever mindful of inner or spiritual things; and if he does not permit the thing that is symbolized to become overshadowed or hidden by the symbol,

the custom is a commendable one.

​

The day that is celebrated as Christmas is not merely the anniversary of a birth which took place two thousand years ago, rather it is the symbol of a constantly recurring process in the heart of man. That process is the birth of the Christ consciousness in a human soul.

​

At the birth of the Christ Spirit in man are found all the attendant phenomena which are so graphically described in some of the Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus in Nazareth; for that reason the symbolism of Christmas has wielded a tremendous influence over the lives of men.

​

John the Baptist is regarded as a forerunner of Christ. He is described in the Bible as the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Before the human soul turns to the Christ, it lives in a wilderness of doubt, of seeking, of longing; there is a deep-seated inner urge for a larger expression of life. Often the one who experiences this urge is not conscious of its spiritual meaning and mental attitude is characterized by unrest and discontent. All these processes in the human mind were symbolized by the advent of John the Baptist, who pointed the way out of the wilderness, the way of repentance and baptism. Repentance signifies a turning about, a complete changing of the mental attitude; baptism is the outer symbol of the cleansing of the thoughts. The advent of the Christ Spirit into consciousness involves a radical change from former ways of thinking and a thorough purifying of the mentality.

​

One of the features characterizing the birth of Jesus was that he was born of a virgin. "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall over-shadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God." The birth of the Christ Spirit in man is brought about by the conscious union of soul and spirit in the secret place within. No intellectual striving, no human endeavor alone, can bring to birth the Spirit of Christ. But when the Holy Spirit, or the divine idea in manifestation, is consciously recognized it brings into being the new life in man. All error or mortal thinking becomes overshadowed by the Spirit of God, and "the holy thing which is begotten is the Son of God, or the Christ made manifest in the flesh.

​

Jesus was born amid lowly surroundings, under the most humble circumstances. His place of birth was bare and primitive, and during the birth pangs his mother was denied every luxury and comfort. Here again is a perfect out picturing of the circumstances under which the soul of man becomes the manger in which a marvelous birth takes place The Spirit of Christ can be born in the human heart only in humbleness and simplicity. The mind must be divested of all interest in externals; all pomp and glory must be forgotten before the mental atmosphere is conducive to a conscious birth of Christ.

 

Among the phenomena that attended the birth of Jesus was the song of the angels: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men: (A.V.), which was heard by the shepherds on the Judean plains. With the birth of the Christ in man's consciousness the soul becomes newly attuned to divine harmony. Order and harmony are among the highest spiritual laws and man becomes conscious of these laws in his life when he has acknowledged the Christ in himself. The Christ consciousness brings into the hearts of men the same message that the angels sang, and causes spiritual order to manifest in their lives and their actions. Divine order established in the affairs of men produces a radiation of good will toward others and good will is a glorification of God, who is its source.

​

The child Jesus in his lowly surroundings received homage from great and small alike. Magi from distant seats of learning followed the star to worship the lowly-born babe. Few children born in luxury have received much heartfelt homage as was lavished upon this child in the manger. The human heart is enriched by new attributes and by new oneness with the opulence of Spirit, when the heir of Spirit comes to birth in man's soul. The birth of Christ in man attracts a richness of gifts which comes in no other way. The new attributes alive in consciousness command the respect and the homage of great and fine minds. Because of a greater appreciation of the cultural things of life, the individual in whose heart the Christ is born naturally is drawn into closer relationship with persons of refinement and intelligence. The Wise Men of the East symbolize the divine source of understanding with which we are brought into more intimate contact after the birth of the Christ Spirit in us.

​

The birth of Jesus in Judea marked the dawn of an era of miracles, in which are included those that he performed and those performed by his followers for many years following his ascension. The birth of Christ in man, too, is followed by an era of miracles. Healing of the body, a sense of divine protection, an assurance of abundant supply, wisdom, harmony, courage, and freedom from negative conditions, all comes in greater measure into life and the affairs of one who has opened himself to receive God's greatest gift. In the Christ presence, human problems work out in ways that seem miraculous. To one in whom Christ is born the so-called miraculous becomes the natural outworking of divine law; the spiritual mingles with the material and brings new life to all the common activities.

​

The consummation of the birth of Jesus was found not only in his life and acts, but in the lesson of eternal life that was given to us in his resurrection from the grave. He in whom the Christ is born often may crucify the divine spirit, when he deviates in his thoughts from the principle that it represents. Our very denial of the omnipresence of Spirit, our every refusal to surrender the mentality as a channel through which the divine mind may operate, constitutes a crucifixion of the Spirit of Christ in us. But no matter how often our material thoughts may crucify him, the Christ always rises from the tomb in the glory of the resurrection and again is born in the consciousness to herald the eternal nature of Christmas.

​