Being an Ass

Dear Kate,

I've been reading the Advent story again, the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke, and thought about being frivolous with it, as it has become fashionable in the church.

I say "in the church" because I imagine anyone else would have no reason to not find the story unfashionable, and it would indeed be frivolous of me for no reason to labor a point that is beside the point.

Let's then stick to reasons, which are all we have, especially the ones that make ourselves reasonable to be deemed fashionable by this frivolous world.  (There is a science to the economy of our being right.)

I try to imagine, what if the Annunciation, the angelic announcement of Jesus' birth, is made to us today, in our time, to our ears, for our benefits, the Good News, as if?

I could imagine Mary saying:

"Well, it's all fine and dandy.  In fact, nice work if I could get it: having my pregnancy livestreamed under the best light, and henceforth going viral every December.  I imagine it will be professionally done, 4K or 8K or wherever higher the resolution--your Resolution to human plight, should be, and my teenage mistake an act of justice and empowerment.  And I further imagine, reasonably, my son's education fund and my retirement plan will be vouchsafed: what else is left for me to do?  Joseph should plan for his retirement too--not that he has done much to get me where I am.  In any case, after this holy commotion of December, we might want a vacation.  We will definitely need a vacation.  The last one in Mexico wasn't long enough for me to  survive another jolt to my personal wellbeing and our relationship dynamic.  Come to think of it, dear Lord, what have you done for me lately?"

Speaking about retirement, let's hear also from the aging and, let's be frank, dying Simeon, shaking his hands in a funny manner for years now without the benefit of modern science to give his tragicomedy an explanation:

"Well, as Mary said, it's all fine and dandy, which I agree wholeheartedly, or else why the trouble to go berserk now, shaking my hands more embarrassingly than I have hitherto or ever have to?  Still I wonder, for a disabled person like me, what else comes with your buy-out package?  A man should die with dignity, and before that, comfort, don't you think?  Especially a man like me, which I trust Luke has done a good job speaking about my good character.  And about Anna my colleague here, who is too old to speak up for herself (not that she has the right to speak much at all, widowed young and humiliated for eight godforsaken decades), don't you think it is about time she get housed properly, with homecare of course?  She doesn't have any kids, you know (and if she does it might make the matter worse, I know.)  What I am saying is, be reasonable with us.  That's all we ask.  Do what you need to do for the world, but don't forget the world that is ours, getting smaller and kinda closing in on us by the minute, breaking ourselves a sweat even now to call your attention to the obvious matter..."

Enough points to put beside the point for a morning, half way there to Christmas.  I would give up a life to hold on to a day in December, and there, is as reasonable as this ass beside the manger can be.

Yours, Alex