December 5, 2005

Born of a Virgin

Revised and clarified by the author, January, 2006

Ancient Jewish texts indicate that the Messiah, who was to be the rescuer of God's people, would be "born of a virgin." An impossible miracle was to be the core of the world's most enduring story. A pure and holy Savior must have a pure and holy beginning.

I was thinking about Jesus' birth as I was hanging Christmas lights around our home. We've chosen to commemorate the purity of God's love at our house by using clear white lights, hundreds and hundreds of them strung together to form a halo of honor over our hedges, up our trees, and around our roof. All to celebrate the birth that divides the past from the future, completes B.C. and opens A.D., and separates personal accomplishments from divine dependence.

For decades of Christmases, my family has celebrated the birth of a Jewish boy in a cattle stall behind Bethlehem's overloaded Comfort Suites. "Jesus," he will be called, "for he will save his people from their sins." I knew him as the "one and only." "Born of a virgin."

Then I met Anuttama Dasa, GBC for Communications at ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Anuttama has become a good friend, one who kindly listens to my Christian voice, and gently opens new worlds to me. One day in Kentucky he told me stories from his holy texts, including one describing how Krishna had been born of the virgin Devaki.

That left me bewildered, with my "one and only" faith leaning pisa-like toward uncertainty.

Additional study taught me that many different religious groups teach that their founder was born of a virgin. They say, for instance, that Savior Dionysus was born of the virgin Semele, and that Buddha was born of a virgin.

The most interesting story I found is that in 1,000 B.C., Deganawidah, the Peaceful Messiah of the Iroquois, was "born to a virgin girl in a village far to the North."

Deganawidah floated to New York's finger lakes in a white canoe. There he connected with Ayenwatha, the famous Onondaga orator, and taught his message of peace to the vicious, cannibalistic people of the five tribes who lived in what we now know as New England. Over the years Deganawidah and his disciple Ayenwatha persuaded the Seneca, Cayuga, Onieda, and Mohawk people to form an alliance of peace and a contract of equality, "truths" that remain "Self Evident" to all Americans 3,000 years later.

The Apostle John was very clear in chapter one, verse nine of his story of Jesus. There he described Jesus as “The true light, which lighteth every man.” Obviously, God has chosen to powerfully light His children in many pure and holy ways. No part of earth has been left untouched. Peace, love, compassion, new life, and hope are consistent messages from Krishna, Deganawidah, Buddah, and others.

But, my continued study affirms that Christianity offers an additional set of life-changing certainties, especially the one gift that is the center of Christmas. Christmas is worth celebrating because Jesus’ birth confirmed God’s promised gift of Eternal Life through Grace.

Christ is the only “Savior” who brings Grace, the gift that declares His total acceptance of each of us without first requiring something from us. He loves, not because of what we have done, are doing, or will do. He accepts each of us without question---because that is who He is: Pure. Holy. Unique. Then He offers to fill us with His Grace, transforming us into far more than we ever dreamed possible. He says, “Would you like to be like me?” That offer, personalized for each of us, is the best gift of all!

Merry Christmas.

 See Isaiah 56, John 3:16, Ephesians 2, Philippians 4, the United States' Declaration of Independence, and the book 1491, by Charles C. Mann.

Dick Duerksen
Assistant Vice President
Mission development
Florida Hospital