The Taliban blew up ancient Buddhist statues. They said, it is their country, they can do as they please. But these priceless artifacts belonged to the entire world, not to the Taliban. They committed a terrible crime, one of their many crimes in the name of Islam. Literally, for hundreds of years, since the 1200’s, the same religion of peace has come down from Afghanistan and struck India, time and again. Islam tore down the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain temples and monuments which were thousands of years old, priceless treasures of mankind that belonged to all of mankind. They tore down the monuments and temples, and used the stone to build mosques on top of the holy spot. They did the same in Turkey to the first Christain Churches. They tore down the famous first churches of the Christian founders, and either left them in ruins, took the stone, marble, wood to build palatial homes for their despotic rulers, or built mosques on the sites. They did the same in Israel. They will do the same here in America, or in Canada, or U.K. or Russia. Now I read a statement from a mullah in Egypt. It is politicized Islam, the Islam of terror. He says he wants to tear down the pyramids. Indeed, the marble was already stripped hundreds of years ago by the same Islamists to again build palatial residents to their despotic rules, for mosques. But it is almost, sad and comical. This mullah, in the name of the religion of peace, wants to tear down the pyramids. In the name of Islam. When they take over, he says, Egypt is their country. They can do as they please, he says. But, the pyramids, they now belong to all of mankind. And I think, like the saying goes, the Pyramids do not fear Time, Time fears the Pyramids.
In the 1400’s, the religion of peace came to old Delhi. It was one of the worst massacres of humankind. Hundreds of thousands were murdered in the streets, woman raped, and this attack on this region and subsequent areas of North India were unparalleled until Nazi Germany. What the Romans did to Solomon’s Temple, to Jerusalem, it cannot in any imagination even compare to what the religion of peace did to people of India.
Today is Christmas. Can I call myself a Christian? I am not. But, I think often about the suffering of Jesus on the Cross. When the Romans put the heavy nails through his wrists, and feet. The agony of this Prince, a once and future King from the family of David. This Jesus the Christ was a royal man. Yet, he spoke such a message. And so brave. It pains me greatly to think that such a King of the Jews had to endure this, and I think again and again about the cross.
In the 7 th Century, before what we call the modern Christmas with the tree and toys, an Old English book said, ‘Wondrous was the cross of victory. I saw a glorious tree, joyfully gleaming. It was adorned with garments, decked with gold, and jewels decorated the tree of the Lord. Through the gold, I could see the strife of wretched men, that once bled on my right side. Stained with lowing of blood, but adorned with treasure. All creation wept, and laments the King’s death, Christ who was on the cross. But there is suffering and victory in the cross.’
I would like Jesus to come back and rule as King of the Jews. That would be my Christmas wish. My forefathers decorated a tree. I do not think it is a bad thing, a pagan thing. It goes way back. It represents the King. In these times, I think my people could use such a King. Because we are in grave danger. Jesus would be the King I would want.
During the same time in the Middle Ages, a Christian lay person became a religious leader of people. He actually wanted to burn crosses because he could not stand a symbol with which Christ was so horribly tortured and so cruelly killed. But in the end, the people themselves convinced him that this was not necessary. They said, this symbol will tell the Islamic invaders that as Jesus the King suffered to give us so much, we do not fear what they want to do to us. It will be a battle standard even.
And it was.
Merry Christmas.
