Taylor Swift Can Help Us Be Better (Seriously)

‘C hristian, remember your dignity.” This may seem ridiculous, but Time’s Person of the Year reminds me of this. Taylor Swift had a break-up song where she sang about how she goes back to December “all the time.” Imagine if we went back to December all the time. If Christians lived the Christmas that is ubiquitous in December, we would be living differently. It’s a time of joy and festivity, and this year, also of solidarity with the suffering in a particular way as Israel — the Holy Land — is under attack.

That line to Christians about dignity is from Pope Leo the Great, as he is remembered. Every Christmas Day, Catholics read his sermon in which he implores: “Dearly beloved, today our Savior is born; let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.”

He goes on to say: “No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all.”

Our current politics is somewhat insane. How refreshing to be reminded that freedom is real and has much more to do with politics.

“In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom, the Son of God took for himself our common humanity in order to reconcile it with its creator,” Leo continues. “He came to overthrow the devil, the origin of death, in that very nature by which he had overthrown mankind.”

It may on one level seem silly to mediate on, but there is more to life than everything in the news. Every shooting. Every debate. Every ridiculous congressional stalemate. It’s not what matters. And that’s what December is about: remembering that we have roots that are deeper and a future that is more enduring.

If you walk into a Macy’s right now, you might see a sign that suggests, “Give Love.” It suggests we need something that’s more than material. Pilgrims are not headed to Jerusalem right now as they might normally be. But when you are there, you encounter the greatest love that there is. And you hear it. And you walk it. When I was last there, it was the Muslim call to prayer that kept me from hitting snooze my first morning there. Jet lag, be gone! Everyone in the Old City in the wee hours of the morning is headed to prayer — Christians, Jews, and Muslims. In December, thinking of the Holy Land, this is what we should all be doing. This is the call.

“Christian, remember your dignity,” Pope Leo said. “And now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God’s kingdom.”

Our culture and politics should be something noble. Service! These days it is more about celebrity and power. Every Republican debate lately has been more depressing than the earlier one. Not necessarily because of any of the candidates, but because we may have forgotten what we are about.

I often laugh at coffee cups around this time of year that declare “joy.” What is joy? Leo suggests a thought

At the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy: Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace to men of good will as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world. When the angels on high are so exultant at this marvelous work of God’s goodness, what joy should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men?

Christmas means something. This season is more than decorations. It’s actual light. And the Abrahamic faiths have a common connection. In a particular way this year, Christians and Jews need to remember that we are family. What does that mean for geopolitical realities? That’s a matter for prayer. It certainly means that ignorance of evil is abhorrent.

For the Christian, Leo reminds:

Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.

There will be many headlines this month. There already have been. Go back to December all the time in moments of contemplation. Actual love. Real virtue. These things are more powerful than any political primary or election. December is an opportunity to remember that is often missed in the busyness of the month. We need to do better.

And, of course, one of the reasons Taylor Swift is in the news is that she is in a new dating relationship. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if she were married? Because family is the most important thing. Remember that, too, this December. Life is far from perfect, but the work and love of family make all the difference. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are quite the reminder. Going back to December should include inserting yourself into the Holy Family, whatever your circumstances are. Because there is love there. And don’t we need that?

This column is based on one available through Andrews McMeel Universal’s Newspaper Enterprise Association.