Jesus Was a Radical Palestinian

Jesus was a radical Palestinian. It’s two days before Christmas. I cannot get this refrain out of my head, and nor would I want to.

I’m a recovering Catholic with a polyamorous relationship with divinity (I’m borrowing that last piece from Tosha Silver). I’ve spent a lot of my adult life actively shunning Christianity in response to the way it is weaponized in our culture, even though I’ve always appreciated the stories of Jesus himself in the Gospels.

I remember reading something not long ago from the Indian-American teacher Indu Aurora, who reminded her students that nothing is going to happen to yoga or Ayurveda in spite of a tendency in the West to capitalize on these ancient South Asian traditions. Her point was that even when people disrespect lineages in order to make a profit, this doesn't actually damage the spirit of the teachings. Because there's no way to damage divinity.

That doesn't mean that there aren't real implications for real people in real time when lineages are disrespected (I think of the massive ongoing impact of British colonialism in India, and the way the West has largely ignored this while making yoga a multibillion dollar industry). I believe what Indu Aurora means is that the core truth of these teachings will remain untouched regardless, just as the core truths of any spiritual belief system will remain unaffected and divine because that is the nature of truth itself. 

Even as my heart and mind are opened once again to the struggle for Palestinian liberation this year, I have been thinking about how bizarre it is that we normalize wearing Santa hats and having ugly sweater work parties, but people in the post office and the grocery store are afraid to say Merry Christmas to each other. As if saying “Merry Christmas” to someone wearing Christmas PJ pants on the sidewalk without also saying “and happy Kwanzaa and happy Solstice and Happy Hanukkah” were going to get them into hot water. For the record, I think folks should say or not say whatever makes them comfortable during ‘the holidays.’ I just also think that we’re really twisted up and confused as a broader culture. (Internal narrative: LOL - ya think, Adair?).

Early Christians overlaid Christmas itself on the pagan, pre-Christian celebration of the solstice. The solstice is a fact of life; December 21st is undeniably the darkest day of the year in the Western Hemisphere. For people like me, who are witchy and devoted to the Divine Feminine, celebrating the womb-like darkness that comes before the light is a spiritual tradition. 

I had a wonderful solo Solstice celebration this year in my very own office/studio space that became mine when we moved to a bigger apartment 2 weeks ago. James brought me food from Natural Oasis (Ethiopian Fusion - best food in Rochester) and I lit candles and danced to traditional Palestinian music, circling the energy in my hips and twerking and connecting with ancestors long-past whose hips were open and mobile and shameless. I journaled and envisioned a free future for all people, drawing on the wisdom of the past and the magic of the future.

I do think it makes sense to bring Christ back into Christmas, as many Christians call for every year. I used to roll my eyes at this because I have a strong and reasonable distaste for the way Christianity is used to curtail human rights in the US and across the globe. But I feel differently this year.

This year, I am drawn to celebrating the birth of a radical Palestinian man who disavowed the Roman occupation, as well as the power of the religious authorities, in whom he placed no trust. 

This year, I celebrate the birth of the Jesus who, in righteous anger, overturned the money changers' tables in the temple - his father’s house. 

This year, I celebrate the birth of the Jesus who was deeply committed to the liberation of those living with chronic and terminal illnesses, who lifted up the struggles of the poor, called out the hoarding of wealth, and who was friends with sex-workers.

This year, I celebrate the Jesus who was born in a manger in Bethlehem, a place where our nation’s leaders - most of whom are Christian - have voted to fund the indiscriminate bombing innocent civilians in favor of ensuring that those on US soil are fed, clothed, safe, and warm.

I doubt I’m telling you anything new. Anybody with a little familiarity with Christianity is probably familiar with Jesus’ teachings. And yet, they are worth repeating - which is why many people go to Church every Sunday.

My belief in Jesus is a little different from that of classical Christianity, in which Jesus is the only Way, Truth, and Light. I resonate more with a Muslim take on Jesus; in Islam, Jesus is seen as a historical prophet. 

As a politicized healer, of course I respect his messaging; when it comes to the recounting of Jesus’ life in the gospels, and the beliefs he put into action, I’m deeply inspired. Jesus spoke truth to power until he was tortured and murdered at the hands of political authorities. As I write this, I am reminded of Motaz Azaiza, the Palestinian journalist with a heart of gold, who risks his life daily to bring real-time footage of the genocide being inflicted on Palestinian people by the Israeli Defense Forces.

If Jesus were a man of our current times, I believe that as a radical Palestinian, he would stand with the Palestinians of today who desperately want self-determination. I think of the 25,000 (approximately) children who are newly orphaned at the hands of the IDF, and I imagine that Jesus would want to protect them.

A little voice in my head reminds me that I’m not writing anything terribly novel. And again, I counter that voice; just because it’s not novel doesn’t mean it doesn't need saying. That’s literally what gospel - both traditional and contemporary written truth - is about. Spreading the good news. We cannot share too much good news with each other.

I use Instagram as an essential tool for self-education and disseminating messages I believe the collective will benefit from. This week on IG, I saw many stalwart politicized healers/spiritual educators, mentors, and leaders I follow get drawn in the drama that inevitably occurs when we have people who were raised in supremacy culture trying to figure out how to dismantle this same culture in real time. 

We cannot change what’s wrong with the energy of what’s wrong (Christina Joy Jones). Infighting is a typical trajectory in liberation movements; avoiding it requires a deep dedication to spiritual practice. Those of us who fight for change often have nervous systems borne of trauma; we’re good at fighting. In spite of being angry at The Man and having far more in common with each other than with those profiting off of supremacy culture, we end up ripping each others’ proverbial throats out.

As leftists, revolutionaries, and radicals whose hearts led us into this work, we end up attacking each other rather than the people and systems we truly have a problem with. This is by design - Marx’s conflict theory explains how if the powers that be can keep us occupied with in-fighting, the status quo will continue and even gain power. 

So, we lose our footing (I’m not immune, FYI) and think we’re fighting for justice when in fact, we’re turning on each other. We need to be loving each other up and getting curious about how we can support each other. This is hard to do sometimes. But it is essential that we remember to address our concerns to the people who have much to gain from feeding the war machine of the American Empire, and not from the everyday people who aren’t showing up the way we want them to. Along with my fellow retreaters, I call my representatives at least once a week at the end of Emotional Retreat Cabin. It’s cathartic to take action, and helpful to debrief together after making our calls.

Jesus directly approached those in authority with his frustrations. He had no problem going straight to the top, and I’ve always appreciated my goddess-given drive to speak truth to power. 

When I find myself frustrated with another person’s lack of willingness to use their voice and reach with others to fight for liberation, I’m working on asking the question, “How can I support you in using your voice?” And if I can’t say that in love and alignment, I’d best hold my tongue. The last thing this world needs is more shame.

There is no way to over-do reminding yourself or the people who to listen to you of the following:

Hate is not conquered by hate but by love alone.

This quote is attributed to the Buddha - I’ve been receiving SO much grace & spaciousness from Buddhist teachings these days. My teacher, Jacoby Ballard, leads a meditation sangha (community) and I land there weekly to deepen in love and justice. It’s a key way of supporting my activist self, who is an integral part of me.

And so, with all of this in mind, I wish you a blessed Christmas, a happy solstice, and a great deal of peace and ease in the year to come. 

With all the love,

Adair