Christmas Prose 2022 for family and friends, "Lump of Coal" by Erin O'Malley
Lump of Coal-
Guilt inducing sign of punishment.
He knows if you've been good or bad... better watch out!
Christmas precursor to judgement day
Shame on you! This gift makes me feel bad about myself! Are you calling me naughty?
I didn't do anything wrong. Unfair! Look all the good I've done. I'm a good person!
"Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:
but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Naughty-violation of commandment, violation of law.
Why all the guilt and shame? Can't we just skip to the feel good part-the candy, the toys!
Preferable to be showered with gifts not slapped with a "naughty" label.
Yet "nice" can enable the demons inside instead of casting them out.
Watch out! Put belief where it belongs.
Place faith in Jesus Christ instead of self
Faith before repentance.
Diagnostics before repair.
Critical thinking and judgement to solve problems.
Loss can motivate forward progress or halt it.
But what good can come from all the bad feeling?
A Hefty dose of punishment-left out in the cold.
But wait-
He still came.
Quietly visiting in the night-leaving something of consequence
A lump of coal: A gift of consequence
to kindle a flame-a spark for change.
a chance to truly repent in sackcloth and ashes
a hot coal-burning brighter and hotter than wood
"And he laid it upon my mouth, and said: Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."
Now that's activated charcoal!
With medicinal properties to reduce inflammation and absorb impurities
Turning ashes into beauty
Potential warmth for the poor in spirit
coming from a lump of coal.
Stopped in my tracks with a hefty dose of punishment-left out in the cold-
But wait, He still came. Quietly visiting me in the night.
Leaving something of consequence, valued, a gift of consequences .
A Lump of coal? a gift?
Recognizing bad, feeling bad- Knowing what's wrong so we can fix it. It can't just all be toys and candy or how are we going to solve the problem- the big problems or answer the big questions. If we can't root out the cause or chief problem, how can we treat it. How can we heal?
Critical thinking necessary to solve problems
If we don’t know what’s wrong how can we fix it. Pointing out the problem criticism and judgement
Crital thinking to solve problem
If nothing is b wrong how can we heal
Pointing out what is b wrong Durant cancel the good
Important medicine giving a chance to truly repent
But I want candy and toys Santa!
Promised beauty from ashes.
Is it better than nothing.
A hefty dose of consequences
Some people wear the label of "naughty" with pride, as if "good" is somehow boring and missing out on excitment.
This is what you get when you do that
Not a person attack, but a gift merited by Pat behaviors of the year.
Why did he come to visit anyway
Why don’t he just leave me alone
Why did her leave anything at all
Could punishment a gift of any value?
Oh the shame of receiving it.
Christmas day becomes judgement day instead of a day celebrating God's unconditional love.
What are these conditions. If I do bad, I receive bad. If I do good, I receive good. If he's checking his list twice, I guess he judged whether I was naughty or nice, because what's in my stocking- a lump of coal.
modern gag gift.
Traitionally, a lump of coal signified punishment- a negative consequence for bad behavior. Compared to a wanted gift, it's served up with a serving of black judgement, instead of a fuzzy red heart of unconditional love.
I guess in someways, Christmas was judgment day.
Guilt is helpful. Shame is not.
Importance of repentance.
Of recognizing the bad.
Of feeling bad, to feel sincere contrition.
Doing the hard thing that feels like punishment but really isn't.
Stop trusting in our own arm.
I have a black heart-
Though it may seem that I don't believe he can repent,
Punishment has inherent power to warm the heart.
Absorb impurities
chronic skin conditions,
activated charcoal-medicinal properties
hard medicine consequences
spiritual death
he still visits them, gives them something- alump of coal
real blackness-outer darkenss- no light, no potential light.
Of turning- returning
And trusting in God that he can take ashes and trade it in for beauty.
Santa
A Gift of Warmth,
sackcloth and ashes
ashes for beauty
charcoal soap
S spark kindling to light the fire of purification
To other to coarse
Call to the mouth
Presence of the lord
Isaiah
Opposites knowledge of good and bad
He knows if ice been good and bad so be good for goodness sake
I haven’t done anything wrong attitude it’s not helpful in the repentance prices
Meters why cakes me gif
Gift of flattery
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him,I
Knowledge of God and evil discerning Opposites important
Then said I: Wo is unto me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphim unto me,
Training down judgements of gif not just symbolically but manifesting power gods power. Show off firepower
Filled with hope in his promise
Trust in his promises courage into covenants
A lump of coal in a stocking is the universal sign for a child being punished. It is well known that Santa brings presents to children who have been good throughout the year, and to the bad ones, he only gives a black rock.
Strangely enough, another possible origin came from a time in which coal was actually still welcome as a gift. Poor people in 19th century Europe had it rough. Not much to go around, and due to the technology, when it got cold the only way to keep warm was with burning coal. So families in poverty would not be able to afford anything but coal.
A lump of coal?
A sarcastic letter to Santa,
Santa
Santa doesn't mourn if everyone doesn't gather at his house in the North Pole to celebrate the holidays. That's not part of the Christmas plan. I come visit you not the other way around. I'm the one who brings you gifts, not the other way around. Because, even if Santa is omniscient and omnipresent, and has all this magical power to fly around the world, he has absolutely no power to gather his family home. Neither does Heavenly Father. He has no power to force his children to come home-to gather with their siblings and bask in familial love. Who would want to go to a frozen tundra anyway? Just give us the goods, we don't have to see you or be with you or bask in your light and glory. You make us feel bad with all your rules and shaming. How dare you call me "naughty!" We want to be with the people who love and accept us unconditionally, who get us, who give us a sense that we have finally arrived home where we belong. We don't belong with you. Because, Santa, doesn't have any. He's a powerful philanthropist for sure, but no one wants to be around him or desires to be in his presence. They just want the presents. No one ever described him as having the appearance of lightning. He doesn't sit around waiting for them-he goes to them, bearing gifts quietly without fanfare or expecting any gratitude or hug. He's just doing his job. He doesn't leave anyone out. Everyone gets something-even if it is a little bit of potential warmth He has to work on Christmas- all through the night. Rather, he goes to them, hildren don't come to her fully decorated home for Christmas to celebrate the holiday together as a family. They don't come to visit. He visits them in one night bringing wanted and needed gifts to all his children- even if it's small gift of potential heat- burns brighter and hotter than wood. lump of coal to use to fuel a fire, burning brighter and hotter than wood.
