“Where did everyone go?” Charlie knew.
Approx. 1,103 words
Charlie
©2004 by W. E. Lopez
“You cannot take it upon yourself to ignore ecclesiastical doctrine, Rev. Montague! Your actions show a total disregard of your training, your vows, and the judgment of your elders! Your behavior will not be tolerated!” Bishop Farnsworth was furious with the young minister. Montague’s observance of a Christmas celebration was unthinkable! Why, it was practically pagan!
“Your Grace, truly I meant no disrespect, but we have seen a dramatic decline in our congregations over the years, particularly during the harsh winter months when the parishioners may be loathe to travel. I find it disconcerting to gaze upon an empty church when I am about to hold services.” Charlie knew his actions violated the principles set forth by the Council of Bishops and fervently hoped he would not be expelled from the Church.
“Yes, yes, yes, I was once a young minister myself, Reverend, winter can be a bleak time upon our souls as well as upon the countryside. So, where did everyone go?” His Grace was not being sarcastic; he was asking Charlie to justify his reasons for celebrating Christmas.
“Where did everyone go?” Charlie knew, but he wished to be
delicate in his reply. “Your Grace, less
than a day’s walk from Millford, there is a Catholic church in the
“And a sad day
that was, Montague. The Catholics have
celebrated Christ’s Mass since the first century because the Pope in
“The winter solstice, that date which marks the turning of the seasons and the journey into spring, was for at least 2,000 years before the birth of Christ a pagan celebration. For the Catholics to usurp the holiday on the pretext of marking the birth of Christ is just as pagan, and it was with good sense the celebration of Christmas was banned by the colonial legislature. You are committing an offense against God and the Church when you countenance this celebration by your congregation! You are instructed to cease this practice immediately! I wish to spare you further grief before the Council of Bishops learns of your transgressions. I have only your best interests at heart, Charles. Please take this advice from one who thinks quite fondly of you, so fondly I blessed your request when you asked for the hand of my only daughter, and I performed the marriage ceremony myself.”
“Your Grace, I mean no disrespect, but I hold the best interests of my congregation and our church deep within my heart. It grieves me that some parishioners have left my flock and joined the Papists in Up-Dunham. I thought we could hope to keep them faithful by allowing this small festivity to celebrate the birth of Christ.”
“What? You mean some have actually joined the Catholics in their pagan ritual?”
“Yes, your Grace, though it grieves me to admit this.” Charlie had no wish to look his father-in-law directly in the eye. Instead he folded his hands in his lap and hung his head, concentrating upon the square toed shoes and pewter buckles the Bishop wore.
Farnsworth rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his furrowed brow bearing testimony to the depth of his contemplations. On the one hand, he had to admit Charlie was correct; far too many Protestants, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Methodists were beginning to drift away from the church and casually mingle with the Catholics. Casually, he asked himself? Botheration! Many had actually converted! It was unthinkable that the church should allow this exodus to be ignored and hope that it would go away. At long last the Bishop reached out and laid a hand upon Charlie’s folded hands.
“Son, I cannot officially condone your actions, but neither will I castigate you. I shall prepare a missive to the council and ask that the church consider celebrating the birth of Christ each December 25th. I don’t see how they can deny such a request, for if we believe that Christ was born, we must believe that he was born on some day of the year. Is there any reason we should not celebrate the 25th of December? I think not, and I’m sure the church elders will see the wisdom of this decision.”
Charlie breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He had always known his father-in-law to be a hard task-master and a stickler for observance of proper Church dogma. Had he relented because he had seen the threat to the institution to which they were both devoted? Or had he felt Charlie’s actions could bring discredit upon himself and his daughter. If Charlie were to be ostracized by the church, the Bishop’s daughter would also suffer.
* * *
“Charles,”
“I’m sure he deserves no small measure of the credit, my dear, for without his help we may have lost many of our flock long ago. As he once said to me, ‘If we believe in Christ, we have to believe he was born some time.’ Your father was a practical man, my dear.”
Charlie was a practical man too. As his father-in-law had suggested, he had paid more attention to the subjects he had studied in the seminary. The Winter Solstice had been celebrated at least four thousand years, and gift giving was part of the tradition. Somewhere, some long time ago, some shaman had recognized that people do need a reason to lift their heart and their hopes when the season is most bleak, and a festival had been created. Though that long ago shaman may have been pagan, people were still people and when daily life became filled with the despair of winter, it was good to look forward to the coming of spring and the joys to follow. Charlie was becoming a practical man also.
* * *
Some persons appear to be upset, claiming recent court decisions are aimed at banning the celebration of Christmas. They seem to be unaware that Christmas actually was banned, for more than 20 years, by the Puritans and the Colonial Legislature of Massachusetts. We did not have a Constitution at that time, and there was nothing to guarantee the right of every individual to worship according to their beliefs (barring ritual sacrifice, of course!).
The real reason these people are upset, is because the courts have refused to support a specific religion and require others to worship at the same altar as the complainers!
It is my personal opinion that the courts have done much to allow everyone to practice their faith, without requiring any individual to accept or practice the faith espoused by another with a different belief.
WEL