15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."
16 But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
17 And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."
18 He said, "Bring them here to Me."
19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.
20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.
21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Muslims in a village in Indonesia stopped a church choir from rehearsing on Sunday evening for a Christmas service on the false premise that the Christians needed permission from community leaders, sources said.
The article goes on to say:
A parishioner told Morning Star News that the congregation has never used the multipurpose building where they were rehearsing as a place of worship; it was built for church worship but never used because of opposition by local Muslims.
“We have been holding services in a congregation member’s house far from the Muslim community,” she said. “We do other church activities in this multipurpose building.”
At press time, it was unclear whether or not the situation had been resolved, even though one of the local Muslim leaders commented in favor of the Christians rehearsing.
From time to time, we hear of instances in the Christmas season in which the songs of Christmas are being restricted. Todd Starnes reported last month that at the Wherwell Primary School in Andover in the U.K.:
Parents received a letter informing them that children would not be allowed to mention Christmas in the upcoming pantomime presentation of “Jack and the Beanstalk.”
The school told parents they had to ban all references to the Christian holiday so they could be inclusive of other faiths.
“Discussion with the panto company revealed that Christmas songs were included in the performance,” the letter to parents read. “We have a number of families who either do not celebrate Christmas or do so in a different way. The children of these families are removed from events such as this, at the request of their parents.”
Starnes wrote that:
The show is presented by a traveling group of thespians who say they typically include a Christmas song around the yuletide season.
But the theater company says the school leaders specifically said – no mention of the Baby Jesus or Santa Claus.
“This shouldn’t be allowed. Christmas is celebrated all over the UK and the world, and you just can’t eradicate it so a few people will not be offended,” one parent told the Daily Mail.
In America, public expressions related to Christmas may find more legal favor than in years past, due to U.S. Supreme Court decisions, according to Liberty Counsel, which states on its website:
Publicly sponsored Nativity scenes on public property are constitutional under the “history and traditions” test now recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court. Such displays are also constitutional, where there is a secular symbol of the holiday in the general context. Privately sponsored Nativity scenes or religious symbols are also permissible on public property that has been opened to the general public for expressive activity. No secular symbol is necessary. A sign indicating private sponsorship may be helpful.
Public schools are not religion-free zones. Classroom discussion of the religious aspects of the holidays is permissible. A holiday display in a classroom may include a Nativity scene or other religious imagery so long as the context also includes secular symbols. A choral performance may include religious songs. In fact, the majority of the songs may be religious, particularly where the performance also includes secular holiday songs. If the students select their own songs independent of the direction of school officials, then there is no requirement that the songs include secular numbers. Students may distribute religious Christmas cards to their classmates during noninstructional time, before or after school or between classes. If the students are not required to dress in uniform, then they may wear clothing with religious words or symbols or religious jewelry.
Unlike the village in Indonesia experienced and the school in the U.K. enforced, it is possible that the songs and symbols of Christmas will provide light into a culture that is starved for hope. Jesus taught a multitude and then provided food for them. He charged the disciples to find food, and they found very little. But, He took what they had and fed thousands of people.
We can each do something to spread the love of Jesus at Christmas and throughout the year. We may not see the full effect of our obedience, but He calls us to take the first step. Each of us can do our part to ensure that the songs of our Savior that are in our hearts, the fragrant aroma of His presence, are not snuffed out. We are the containers of His light, and we can impact those around us with His love. We take the first step of obedience, and trust the Lord to use it for His glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment