WHAT IF? 3 Wise Women

A thought for Christmas evening. Do you know what may possibly have happened if it had been 3 wise women instead of 3 wise men? The 3 wise women would most probably have asked for directions, in the first place, then they would have arrived on time and helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, brought practical presents and there would be peace on earth.

Christmas is for Everyone

Every year I rant and rage about how Christmas is being hijacked by consumerism, rampant buying and shopping, without a thought about the true meaning of the day. It saddens me that people don't stop to think about the birth of Christ. However, I have arrived at a new realisation. There are other faith believers who celebrate Christmas as a mark of national unity and the spirit of Jesus was about unity.

I have two Muslim friends who are celebrating Christmas by having roast chicken (they could not get Halal Turkey). They tell me about their Muslim friends who are doing the same. Apart from wanting to join in the merriment of the day they are also paying homage to the birth of Jesus, they say.

To me, this is a cause for celebration in a week when the British Social Attitudes Survey reports that 51% of people in Britain do not subscribe to a faith. Christmas is an indicator of a values based society even if not as a religious event. By this I mean that people get together with friends and family to reaffirm what is important in life. Charitable giving is at its' most visible during Christmas. While I still cannot stand the thought of Christmas being about presents I take heart that the Christian message resonates both with non faith people and with other faith people.

Directions for the Religious Conduct of a Family

The following is an extract from a book written in 1698 by Sir George Wheeler who was educated at Oxford University and became an author. The rules of conduct set out below come from his book titled:
'The Protestant Monastery: Or, Christian Oeconomicks. Containing Directions for the Religious Conduct of a Family'.

Men should have power over their wives
Good wives should be patient, loving, sweet, kind and obedient
Men should look after their wives
Men should never hit their wives
Men should take advice from their wives
Men are stronger and wiser than women
Men should respect their wives
Wives should obey their husbands

Have contemporary marriages moved away from this model for a happy marriage? Your immediate instinct would be to say 'yes', I suspect, but do consider the rise in domestic violence, the recent spate of family killings by men and the favourable way policy makers view marriage with a sub-text of keeping traditional roles going.