In this season I am reminded of the teachings of Love by Jesus of Nazareth; his emphasis on forgiveness and sharing.

When I listen to the hymns and carols, however, I become befuddled. In this nation that struggled hard to create government from the bottom up; from the consent of the governed; in the shared responsibility of a democracy, why are we “praising a Lord”, singing of a “king of kings”, a “ruler of all”? Why do we look for a shepherd to lead us like sheep?

The American Revolution was a turning point in that it said: “We, the people are adults. We are wise enough, together, to govern ourselves. We will put checks on our leaders so they will always listen to us. We are not praying for them to have some superhuman guidance. We rely on *each other*.”

Jesus had many of those ideas two millennia ago. Listen to him, not what people say about him. The miracle is not that he died as a god, it’s that he lived as a wise man, like the rest of us.