Counter Fascination

This Sunday marks the starting celebration of the so-called "Advent" season, in which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Just like the Christmas, the Advent season by itself is not a universal ordinance that all churches or Christians must observe, it is merely a traditional Christian holiday. However; the Advent season highlights the birth of Jesus for almost a month of time (from the 1st Sunday of December till Christmas), so it serves as an excellent object lesson for Christians to remember the significance of the birth of Jesus -- he who is God became man.

Grown up in a Chinese tradition, I have learned so many Chinese folk tales where heroic figures, wisdom figures, or moral figures transfiguring into some sort of gods or goddesses after death. In fact, even our ancestors will become some sort of gods or goddesses if they are revered without much visible flaws. After the death of an elderly, the children will usually have a ChaoDu (超度) session prepared for their dead parents or grandparents. The session means to elevate the soul of their love ones into a higher state. The bottom line is that, human in its state are not the best, there are better states of being out there that one desires.

Have you ever pondered in your heart, my friends? -- Counter to our usual fascination, unlike these Chinese folk tales where the climax is a man becomes god, the spotlight shines on Jesus when He who is God became man!

Jesus, who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness. (TNIV, Philippians 2:6-7)