I would like to give birth to a new holiday tradition. Forget the Happy Hanukkah cards. How about a thank you note?

mary good

Who killed Jesus is a topic of much debate: was it the Jews, the Romans, a combination, Jesus’s own father, a plot requirement? Yet the question of who gave birth to baby Jesus is answered without equivocation: Mary. Yes, she did so with the help of God, but it was Mary who schlepped from inn to inn before settling on a perfectly acceptable no-frills manger (a real find). And it was her zaftig child bearing hips which really delivered the goods. I happen to like Jesus, who was a real mensch, and wish that the Church followed his teachings more closely. And I’m not trying to take all the Jewish credit for Christ’s birth. I just think that since we have, throughout history, been blamed for his death, we deserve, at the very least, a a little credit for his birth. So here are some sample cards I would like to see. Nothing fancy, don’t go crazy. Just something like "Thanks so much for the best Christmas present ever… Jesus Christ!!!" Or "We were thrilled with a lord. But a lord AND savior! You really outdid yourself." So Christians, send a thank you note to every Tom, Dick and Harry–or Tov, Dov, and Heschie–you know.

At Guernica, we’ve spent the last 15 years producing uncompromising journalism.

More than 80% of our finances come from readers like you. And we’re constantly working to produce a magazine that deserves you—a magazine that is a platform for ideas fostering justice, equality, and civic action.

If you value Guernica’s role in this era of obfuscation, please donate.

Help us stay in the fight by giving here.