Christmas Brings Not Peace, But the Sword ~ BENEATH THE SURFACE with PAUL MURANO

By: Paul Murano – Dec. 2020

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s foes will be those of his own household” (Mt 10:34-36).

These are tough words for delicate modern ears. But they came from the mouth of the Prince of Peace Himself, Jesus the Christ. How can the prince of peace say His coming would cause such division? Let’s go beneath the surface.

Christmas celebrates the coming of Truth Incarnate, when Reality took on a human nature and was born into the world He created. Yet, He was born into a post-Eden world tainted by sin, injustice, and tyranny. It’s a world where weeds and wheat grow together, and where sin and grace coexist.

When Truth enters a world of falsehood and evil it’s more like an earthquake than a merry-go-round. It’s inevitable there will be great strife and division, for not everyone will accept Him. For those who do, they will experience both peace and persecution. Those who do not, however, will remain miserable in their temporary comfort and prestige. Christmas challenges us to choose: the world or God, temporary gratification or fullness of life that endures forever.

How does the existential friction persist? Many loathe truth and goodness and seek to stamp it out because of the way it makes them feel in the midst of their un-repented sin. This orientation against Christ begins with a hardened heart and continues with a psyche of denial – including self-denial. See how the Left today transfers its own sinful tendencies onto others? That’s what evil does.

It assumes everyone else is racist because they are. It accuses everyone else of being anti-science because they are. There is no science more basic than the fact that human individuals begin at conception and that the human species is made up of two biological sexes. To avoid the truth the Left has created language police, college safe zones, big-tech censorship, and all out assaults on free speech.

They attack Christmas, hate the president, advocate for prenatal murder, and seek to silence and cancel anyone who dares speak the truth on sexuality, marriage, and human life. It’s a denial that skews one’s vision of reality that seeks to re-create truth rather than to accept and conform to it.
Since the Left fears truth, it does not follow, or even respect, science. Nor does it respect religion. It’s no surprise, therefore, when they are reminded of Truth Incarnate each year at this time it causes discomfort. They first reduced Christmas to a secular marketing movement.

Today Democrat governors and mayors clamor to quash Christmas joy by using COVID as their excuse.

There can never be peace if it’s based on falsehood, even if everyone agrees. The road to Christmas peace is rocky, and freedom must be constantly fought for, with the shield of justice and the sword of truth. God knows, that like the baby Jesus, those who fight for Truth will not be accepted; there will “no room for them at the Inn.” They will be ridiculed, humiliated and cancelled.

If, however, we persevere to the end carrying our own crosses with courage and conviction, we will be given the prize He won for us on His cross: Perfect and unending peace and joy in union with the child Jesus for all eternity. That’s what Christmas means to humanity. Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people of good will!

Paul is producer and host of Beneath the Surface video and radio podcasts, teaches philosophy & theology, is a staff writer/producer at St. Michael’s media, and is a singer-songwriter-musician. See his YouTube page at Youtube.com/user/Veritas3737/videos or his personal website at Paulmurano.com. E-mail: PJDM@aol.com.