Jesus’ birth took place amidst imperial occupation, census mandates tied to Roman rule, threats from vassal kings, and exile. Politics shaped the very lives and story of Jesus’ family. The Christmas story refers to the presence of God in the political order and its transformation.
In modern celebrations, this is often sidelined. Rather than grappling with questions of power, justice, poverty, and rules, this season becomes a time for family gatherings and acts of giving. But the Nativity account places this event squarely within the struggle for authority and human flourishing. Even a faithful observer cannot ignore the structure in which the story unfolds.
Bethlehem was then part of the Roman Empire. Today, Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank. Celebrations of the birth of Jesus are now unfolding amidst military control, forced migration, and restricted lifestyles. What is important is continuity, not identity, between past and present. Christmas gives a name to the hope that arises when ordinary people live under forces they do not command. Politics doesn’t interfere with the story. it’s part of the story. One of the most common mistakes religious people make is trying to be more spiritual than God.
The Bible itself would agree with Aristotle’s maxim that “man is a political animal.” The question is, who does “he” serve? Caesar or Jesus? The early Christians saw it all too clearly. They called Jesus “Lord” in the very world where Caesar claimed that title.
The Gospel was not about putting a better ruler on the throne, but about challenging the very rule of the throne, imagining a world ordered not by force and fear, but by mutual care, communal living, and the dignity of the lowest. Even Jesus resisted the imposed title, “Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. He who does the will of my Father will enter the kingdom of heaven.” The prayers he taught end with a declaration rather than a slogan: “On earth as it is in heaven.” There is no cross as a flag. There is no flag as a creed. Christian nationalism is heresy.
Today’s Bethlehem could be Gaza or Kiev, a place where ordinary people live under the weight of powers they did not choose, or a place where families are torn apart, futures are narrowed, and fear defines the conditions of life. The point is not to trade one empire for another, but to look again at what this story continues to reveal. Whenever force asserts necessity and flags assert holiness, the gospel stands with those who bear the cost. It challenges civilization’s deepest habits of drawing lines, fixing boundaries, and enforcing hierarchies.
Jesus’ words and actions were as unacceptable there, here, and anywhere in the first century as they are today. Some form of resistance, exile, or execution could certainly have been expected. What I couldn’t have predicted, and what I might not have expected, was that the end wasn’t the end. Those who originally experienced the power of God through Jesus’ vision and example continued to experience it after Jesus’ death. In fact, all the more so now that this power is no longer limited by time or place. Some of Jesus’ own followers, who initially fled from the danger and fear of the cross, eventually came to speak not only of continued love but also of the resurrection.
Political theorist Hannah Arendt said, “Faith and hope, these two essential features of human existence, were completely ignored in Greek antiquity, which downplayed faith as a very rare and unimportant virtue, and counted hope among the illusory vices of Pandora’s Box.”
Artists and musicians have done more than dogma and formal beliefs to spread the spirit of Jesus. Among the more recent ones is French organist Charles Widor. He composed one of the popular organ works featured below. Here, internationally acclaimed Paul Jacobs plays on one of the great organs of our time. The organ, known as the Hazel Light Organ after its donor, is located in the disgraceful beauty of the former Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, happily taken over by Roman Catholics under more faithful guidance and now called Christ Cathedral.
Christmas anticipates the new life promised at Easter. “Alleluia That’s our name. ” (Augustine).
As the secular Hannah Arendt wrote, “Faith and hope for the world is perhaps most succinctly expressed in the few words in which the Gospels proclaim ‘glad tidings’: ‘To us a child is born.'”
notes and reading
The Nativity of the Gospels—The birth story appears in Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 1:26-2:40. Mark has no account of infancy (starting at 1:1–11). John provides a theological prologue to the incarnation rather than a birth story (John 1:1–18, especially 1:14).
“The Wise Men Guided by the Stars” – Gustave Dore (1832-1883), was a prolific sculptor, artist, illustrator, and sculptor, working primarily in wood and steel sculpture. His work is considered one of the most important in the field of sculpture.
Frederick Buchner (1926-2022)-Wishful thinking: Theological ABCs (1973), “Incarnation.” Buchner (pronounced Beek-ner) was an American writer and theologian. He was an important source of inspiration for many readers, writers, preachers, and theologians.
hannah arendt (1906-1975)– human condition (2nd edition, 1998). V, “Action” Arendt is known for her work on totalitarianism and what she called “the banality of evil.”
Steven Nissenbaum—The Battle of Christmas: A Social and Cultural History of Christmas (1996). However, it has been well received by critics, and like many works that reinterpret familiar traditions, it has attracted debate and mixed reviews. Nissenbaum is professor emeritus of history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and adjunct professor of history at the University of Vermont.
Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937)—French organist and composer who shaped the symphonic organ tradition.
Paul Jacobs (Born in 1977) —An American master who brought the concert organ to major halls around the world.
“Crystal Cathedral”-The triumph of spectacle over content, made famous by megachurch pastor Robert Schuller. now renamed christ cathedral It is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Los Angeles. Home to the largest organ and concerts performed by top organists.
“The weakness of the strong” – foreign affairs (January/February 2026), p. 8 onwards. Is MAGA Trump’s biggest enemy? “Authoritarian adversaries have shown boldness and determination, but the nature of their regimes presents constant opportunities. Their supporters are the real enemy within.”
room for love
another joy
Approximately 2+2=5
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Source: 2 + 2 = 5 – williamgreen.substack.com
