Essays of Renaldo Visione - Back Then

[rvisione]

Back Then

As Christmas approaches, I am left to wonder about the time of the birth of Jesus versus now. It was a simpler time, a harsher time. While there was civilization and culture, life was different and yet the same. There was no electricity, no radio, no CDs, no TV, no VCRs, no DVDs, no PCs, no MP3s. There were no cars, no planes, no satellites, no phones, and no Internet.

Life at that time was not about technology. With all that we have that did not exist then, how can I identify with then versus now? Could I survive in that time? There were towns with people and vocations. Each person journeyed from birth to death. Male and female joined to create families. Children were born, children grew, children made mistakes, children learned, and children became adults. Male and female found each other, married, and started the cycle over once more.

The Scriptures tell of the many cycles, the houses of ancestry; and from that time, much has been passed from generation to generation. In that cycle, God gave us his only begotten Son. In that cycle, events were set in motion that would ripple through generations to come.

Back then, there were no computers, no printing presses, very little in the way to record history. At some point, some words were written, but there was no DVD, no video, no film, no audio tape, and no reporter’s pictures. There was no blog, no evening news report, no editorial page, no announcement in the newspaper as to the wondrous events; yet somehow, from those special days, the story prevailed. Much of the events were passed from person to person, family to family, parent to child, generation to generation.

How wondrous for the story to have passed unto today. Today, in this time of technology, planes, cars, roads, electricity, department stores, malls, phones and instant communications, what would have happened if Jesus was born now? How quickly would the word spread? Would the event have made the news? Would the world understand?

And if by chance an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before me, and the glory of the Lord shone around about me; would I be terribly frightened? Would I think it was just some trickster, some prankster? Would I believe this might be a messenger from God? Would I believe what I was seeing?

And if by chance that angel said, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord;� would I believe what I was hearing?

And if by chance, with the angel there appeared a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men,� would I believe my eyes? Would I pull out my camera phone, my digital, or my video to somehow record the event? Would I simply stand frozen in disbelief? Would I shout with joy and run to tell others what I saw? Would people believe me or dismiss me?

What would happen to the world if today we learned to us was born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord? Would the evil ones scurry to hide? Would terrorists stop killing? Would dictators release their citizens from oppression? Would robbers stop robbing? Would the divisions of the world religions be healed? Would there be peace in our day? Indeed, how would mankind respond? Would non-believers believe? Could we possibly accept our Savior in the flesh, face to face?

Many would, and many would come. Many did then, and many came then. Still, many did not and today many would not. They cannot understand, cannot fathom, simply cannot believe, no matter what they might see, what they might experience, what they might feel; they just cannot possibly accept. Some would try to explain it away; it is some hoax, some charade, but they could not face the face of God. Whether it was then or now, the believers in non-belief believe with fervor. Some do not believe because they do not know, some do not know what they believe, some simply choose another path, and then, there are those with faith to believe. Much has changed, nothing has changed, as it was then, it is now and ever shall be.

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)

Renaldo Visione

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