ERIC BUTTERWORTH PAPERS (3014) BOX 20 FOLDER 39 YOUR CHRISTMAS STAR DECEMBER 23,1984 VOuk uhki&'IMAS ?ri l&cJTJWrS 'AMD LO./THl STAR '£NT BEFORE THFM/liNTII IT CAMS and stood/hhere THE YOUNG CHILD MS,’ THUS IS BORN/A COLORFUL TRADITION/THAT IS CELEBRATED/ALL OVER/THE CHRISTIAN WORLD/EVERY YEAR. AMD AMONG ALL THE MANY/LOVELY SYMBOLs/wiTH WHICH CHRISTMAS /HAS BECOME IDENTIFIED,/THE CHRISTMAS STAP/lS THE MOST UNIVERSAL. THERE ARE STARS/aND SJAES/aND STARS./THE LITTLE CHILD’S/'TWINKLE, TWIMKLE/LI TTLE STAR/HOW I WONDER/WHAT YOU ARE.'//AND THE DREAMER’S/ ’STARLIGHT,/sTAR3RIB8T/FIRST STAS/l'VE SEEN TONIGHT./ I WISH I MAY,/1 WISH I MIGHT/GRANT® THE WISH/l WISH TONIGHT.'//THERE IS TENNYSON'S SUNSET AND EVENONG STAR,/AND ONE CLEAR CALL "TO MB. ’/AND EKERSON's/ 'HITCH? YOUR WAGON/tO A STAR.‘/3UT BEST OF ALL TO ME,/lS THE CHRISTMAS STAR OF BETHLEHEM. V f -2- IT IS OFTEN SAID/THAT CHRISTMAS/lS FOR CHILDREN. AND I WOULD ADD/- FOR THE SLEEPING CHILD/THAT LIES DORMANT/WI THIN US ALL. I LOVE THE PLAINTIVE CALL /OF ELIZABETH AKERS ALLEN/-- 'BACKWARD,/TURN BACKWARD,/O TIME IN YOUR FLIGHT./MAKE ME A CHILD AGAIN,/JUST FOR TONIGHT.'/ AND UNLESS WE BECOME AS A CHILD/AND VIEW THE UH0Le/cELE3RATI0N ON THE TIPTOE/OF EXPECTANCY...THEN IT IS/A/lT HAS BEEN FOR RELIGION GENERALLY -/WHERE ITHE SPIRl/HAS BEEN BURIED IN FORM/AND THE TRUTt/LIES UNDIS-COVERED/THROUGH THE PERPETUATION OF dogma/- SO THE CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIOi/HAS DEVOLVED FOR SO MANY/lNTO WHAT PHILIP WYLIE CALLS/'THE HOPPED-Ul/ pressure-laden/status-seeking/competitive d£gRADATION/OF CHRISTMAS.' VOH./l SEE THE OUTER CELEBRATION/AS A LOVELY THING. THE CHRISTMAS TREES/ON PARK AVE../THE DECORATED HOMES/1N THE COMMUNITIES/the BREATHTAKING -3- DI SPLAYS ON FIFTH AVE./AND AT RADIO CITIY/-- THE BELL-RINGING/SALVATION ARMY LASS I ES,/THE VARIED ARRAY OF SANTA CLAUSES/WITH THE SUIT/AND MANNER THAT/DOES NOT QUITE FIT,/AND THE FRAGRANCE OF CHESTNUTS/BEIMG ROASTED ON A CRUDE/STOVE AND BEING HANDLED/3Y GRIMY HANDS./ ALL THIS IS/CHRIST' MAS IN NEW YORK. OF COURSE/THERE IS SO MUCH MORE./HOW EASILY WE CAN PACK THE TREES/AND GARLANDS/AND BELL^' AND RETURN THEM TO STORAG^/FOR ANOTHER YEAR/ HOW QUICKLY THE STORES/CAN CHANGE THEIR DIS-PLAYS/TO JANUARY WHITE SALES./HOW SOON THE STREET SANTA CLAUS/RETURNS TO HIS PLACE/lN LINE AT THE UNENPLOYMENT/COMPENSATION OFFICE. jjTHE CHRISTMAS STORY/mAY WELL HAKE BEEN/OVER-f DRAMATIZED/AND OVER-SENTAMENTALIZED/THUS I T HAS /BECOME IRRELEVENT/AND UNREAL./ LIKE A MOV I Et THAT WE WATCH FOR AN HOUR/AND HAVE A GOOD CRY OVER/ I { it/|NTO LIVES OF ROUTINENESS/ CHANGED/3Y THE EXPERIENCE. I'MAKE ME A CHILD AGAIN JUST FOR A MOMFMT ..' J0S6PH AND MARY/C6ME RIDING INTO BETHLEHEM/ 'AND WHILE THEY WERE MP THERE/SHE BROUGHT FORTt/HER FIRSTBORN SON/AND LAID HIM IN A MANGER/FOR THERE WAS NO ROOM/FOR THEM IN THE IT IS INTERESTING/HOW WE READ INFERENCES/lNTO SCRIPTURAL WORDS/ACCORDING TO A MODERr/FRAME OF REFERENCE. FOR INSTANCE ./THE WORD 'INN'/CONJURES UP AN ENGLISH PUB/OR A HOLIDAY INN MOTIL...WITH A 8AR/AND LOUD-LAUGHING REVELERS. THE FACT IS THE BIBLICAL TERM 'IJIN'/mEANS A ’KHAN/WHICH WAS LITTLE MORE THAN/A PROTECTIVE ENCLAVE,/WITH FOUR Cold WALLS BUT NO ROOF. ^THESE WERE CARAVAN REST STOPS /PLACED A DAY'S JOURNEY APART/ON THE WELL-TRAVELED ROADS./BY TAKING THEIR DONKEYS/AND CAMELS/INTO -5- THE KHAM AT ^IGHT/THEY WERE PROTECTED/FROM WILD ANIMALS AMD THIEVES. BUT MARY AMD JOSEPH/FOUND REFUGE IM A CAVE/NEAR-BY/- PROBABLY EVEN LED THERE/BY THE VERY INN“KEEPER/WHO HAS SEEM PILLO-RIED/AS THE SYMBOL OF THE/HARD-HEARTED BUSINESS?* IM THE MATTHEW SCENARIO./THREE WISE MEM,/SOMETIME! tALLEEL . ojk (•''DRAMATIZED AT THIS SEASON. THE SAD THING IS THAT/THE EMPHASIS IS ALL WRONG./THUS THE REAL MEANING/IS PERVERTED. IT IS NOT JUST THE STORY OF 308 CRATCH IT/AND TINY TIM/BEING HARASSED 3Y A MEAN OLD MAN./EBENEZER SCROOGE. IT IS A DRAMATIC STORY/OF MARVELOUS METAMORPHOSIS/THROUGH THE EMPHASIS OF THE/CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. If have LONG BEEN/ON A CAMPAIGN TO RECOVER/DIGNITY IFOR SCROOGE. I FEEt HE HAS BEEN GIVEN/A ’BUM RAP.' /lE HAS 8EC0ME/THE CLASSIC CARICATURE/OF THE MEAN,/ SELFISH./MATERIALISTC PERSON,/AMD WE RIDICULE HIM/AND ALL THOSE WHO CRY 0UT,/'3AHI, HUMBUG!’ KHWtmas Oyta' BUT THE Wl IS A STORY/OF PERSONAL GROWTH,/ THE MIRACLE OF CHANGE,/AND THE REALITY OF THE DIVINE POTENTIAL/THAT IS ALWAYS PRESENT/IN EVEN THE MOST DEPRAVED PERSON.///IN THE END/SCRCOGE BECAME A SENSITIVE EMPLOYER,/A SECOND FATHER TO TINY TIM./. .AND HE VOICED A STRONG COMMITMENT: 'I WILL HONOR CHRISTMAS/IN MY HEART/AND TRY TO KEEP/IT ALL THE YEAR. I WILL LIVE IN THE PAST,/THE PRESENT,/AND THE FUTURE. THE SPIRITS OF ALL THREE/SHALL STRIVE WITHIN ME. I WILL NOT SHUT OUT/THE LESSONS THEY TEACH.’ ()SO INSTEAD OF BEINGA«E VILLAIN OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY,/SCROOGE SHOULD BE THE HERO -/ MUCH IN THE SENSE/THAT PAUL TRANSCENDEqfHIS PAST/AND BECAME A HERO/IN THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION. UNLESS WHAT HAPPENED Ifi SCROOGE/HAPPENS IN_S£HE way TO EACH OF US,/WE CANNOT RIGHTLY SAY/WE ARE INTO CHRISTMAS, /OR AT LEAST WE ARE NOT/LETTING IT GET INTO OS AS IBROTHER ANGELUS) SINGS -/- ’THOUGH CHRIST A THOUSAND TIMES/lN BETHLEHEM BE BORN,/ jF HEJJ V NOT BOP IN, THEE,/ THY SOI)I; £ ALL FORLORN.' I WOULD LIKE YOU/TO TAKE A LOOK/AT YOUR PROGRAM FOR TODAY. FOCUS ON THE/ONITY LOGO ON THE COVER. THIS IS A SYMBOL/THAT HAS EVOLVED IN MY CONSCIOUS' NESS/OVER THE YEARS /- INSPIRED BY THE CONCEPT OF PLOTI.. JS/THAT THE UNIVERSE/lS AN INFINITE / PROCESS/THAT IS EVER RUSHING,/STREAMIMG/AND POUR-INTO US/FROM ALL SIDES/WHILE WE STAND QUIET. NOTICE HOW THIS/TAKES THE SHJPE OF A STAR --SHOWING THAT IN THE COSMIC PROCESS/UNFOLDING YOU,/YOU ARE A STAR. PUT YOURSELF IN THE PICTURE. 'WOW;' i CERTAIN SEERS ANB SENSITlVES/HAVE LONG TALKED AfiXV C5 "13" OF THE 'AURA'/THAT SURROUNDS EVERY PERSON, AND WHICH IS MORE VIVID/WITH PERSONS IN A HIGH CONSCIOUSNESS. I SEE IHIS AURA/AS THE NON-MATERIAL FIELD/OF FORCE/THAT IS THE REAL IJY/OUT OF WHICH THINGS TAKE SHAPE,/AND D M WHICH THEY RECEIVE/ THE FLOW OF SUPPORT/FROK THE UNIVERSE. IN SHORT /|T IS MY CONTENTION/THAT THE AURA DOES Ml/ ( Copy SabY EMANATE FROM THE PURBT:;,/BUT THE OODfti PRECIPITATES FROM THE AURA + THE FORCES FORMING THE STAR./WHICH IS THE PLAN/FOR PERFECT MAN. t " "-V — , ■ - ■ - ■■ -■■■- ■ - FROM THE EARLIEST DAYSMAN HAS SENSED THE UNIVERSAL ORDER,/AND HAS INTUITIVELY KNOWN/THE MEANING OF/AND THE NEED FOR/TRANSCENDENT LIGHT. MOST SO-CALLED/PAGAN CULTURES/HAD SOME FORM OF ANNUAL CELEBRATION/OF THE REBIRTH OF LIGHT/AT THE WINTER SOLSTICE,/THE TIME WHEN THE SUN/lS AT ITS GREATES' DISTANCE/FROM THE CELESTIAL EQUATOR -/about DEC. 22ND. AND IT IS LIKELY/THAT CHURCH HISTORIANS,/ -14- WHO REALLY HAD NO IDE "/WHEN JESUS WAS ACTUALLY 80RN./SET THE DAY AT THIS TIME/BY DESIGN/TO SYM' BOLIZE THE RE-IMFUStiON/OF TJTE PLANET/3ITH AN ENERGY FORCE/3RINGING VIORATORY RHYTHMS/TO LIFT THE EARTH/TO THE KIND OF/'PEACE ON EARTH/GOCD WILL TO MEN'/SUNG BY THE HEAVENLY HOSTS. ►SO TODAY, DECEMBER 23, 1984,/WHEN THE WORLD STAND! /IN SUCH/DESPERATE NEED FJB LIGHT./THERE IS A CRYING NEED/FOR A RENAISSANCE OF THG/EARLT CHRISI■ TIAN EXPERIENCE /A RETURN TO MEANINGS WITHIN FORM./TO COMMITMENT BEYON0 DOCTRINE. ► SO THE GREAT IDEA/THAT CHRISTMAS SHOULD SYM80- jULAIUI'JUHLaAk/.AAN INTO THE WORLD,/THE AWAKENING IN EACH OF US TO THE DYNAMIC POTENT IAL/OL OUR GOD-SELF -- WITH THE " —» m INHERENT PROMISE/THAT AS MEN ACT ON LOVE/ AND GOOD WILL,/THERE £M BE PEACE ON EARTH. -15- A LOVE THE STORY/OF THE MAN WHO WENT TO A QUAKER CmEETINGHOUSE ,/ NOT KNOWING ANYTH ING/A80UT THE PROCESS/OF A QUAKER MEETING. THE CONGREGATION (sat IN SILENCE/fOR A LONG TIME. THE MAN WAS /PUZZLED/AND IMPATIENT FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. jHE LEANED OVER/TO THE MAN SITTING NEXT TO HIM/ (AND WHISPERED, 'WHEN DOES THE SERVICE BEGIN?' [THE MAN QUIETLY RE PLIED,/'WHEN THE MEETING IS loVER.' /V ,IAND IN THE SAME SENSE/THE TRUE CHRIST MASS 8E$INS I /WHEN TflE DAY OF CELESRATIOE^/lS OVER./THERE IS SLEEVES-ROLLED-UP/WORK TO 3E DONE,/THE NEW CONSCIOUSNESS TO REVEAL,/AND THE LIGHT/OF OUR PERSONAL STAR TO SHINE. TOO VISIONARY? YOU SAY. YET/A SOCIETY THAT CAN /PUT PEOPLE ON THE MOON/AND SHUTTLE SACK AND FORTH INTO OUTER SPACE/SHOULD BE READY 10 Explore neji steps/in a bibhh of l i gh t,/ to seed THE MENTAL ATMOSPHERE OF THE PLANEl/WITH MEW THOUGHTS OF/TRANSCENDENT S©GNIFICANCE. AND LET'S NOT/FALL SACK ON THE CLASS IC/CCP-OUT THAT YOU ARE ONLY ONE -/- WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO/lN THE MIDST OF SUCH/OVERWHELMING DARKNESS? ‘ YOU ARE A STAR. ’LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE.* SO... CHRISTMAS SHOULD NOT SE/a SEASONAL BACKWARD glance/at an event of so long ago/that we ONLY DEAL WITH IT/lN SYMBOLIC FORM THROUGH ASSEM SLING/OUR CHRISTMAS CRECHES, #0 IS A KIND OF 'PASTE-ON PIETY' OF THE SEASON ,/WH ICH IS SO SOON PACKED AWAY/WITH ORNAMENTS AND TINSEL/AFTER THE PERFUNCTORY PRACTICE/HAS BEEN FULFILLED. RATHER^CHRISTMAS SHOULD 3E/A IS A PROPHET IE DAY,/0R SHOULD BE. THE BIRTH OF THE CHRIST,/YOUR PERSONAL CHRISTMAS STAR./BELCtJGS T® AN ORDER OF LIFE NOT YET ATTAINED/A GLIMPSE IT CF A RACE ►IK THE CLOSING LINES/CF HIS LOVELY POEM,/ GOD-SIZE1 ~ UORY VICTOR NORRA^l SAYS ? ft ’SO WE WAIT TODAY/AND DEEPLY PRAY/ IN THE IIIDST Oi' EART ’ N01 $E/AED FUSS,/ FOR ONE TO ARISE,/ IN LOVE GOD-SIZE/ IN THE HEART/OF EACH ONE OF US.’ a^,/\ y ^ s'^ / i U/ €#F T/*<6lr/W~?hZ ^/A/cer op />£/*££ J*' ’