How Did THAT Happen?

When I think of myth I think of Greek Gods, symbols of big concepts and ideas, we know these people never existed but the story of the myth addresses a basic character/idea of mankind.  In the mythologizing of a mortal, that person actually existed but the myth forms around them. This is a different process.

In a simplistic way, demythologizing Jesus is like demythologizing Santa Claus, there is some basis in truth and the rest has been filled in over time by religious, societal, and cultural expediency.  It’s interesting how the stories of certain historical figures seem to become magnets for mythologizing.  Why St. Nicholas?  Why Jesus? 

There is a kernel of truth in any mythology, it’s what makes it myth and not just story telling.  In a brief foray into the history of Santa Claus, it seems that the Santa Claus myth was based on the unusual generosity of a man who had dedicated himself to following the tenants of the church regarding the sharing of one’s wealth.  Throw in some miracles and we’re on our way to myth.  The Santa Claus Myth grew and shifted with the culture as a symbol of generosity.  Why was it adopted?  Because it was the example of a “good” way to be in the world, perhaps a reflection of man’s spark of divinity embodied in a human being.

In the case of Jesus, we have a man who dared to speak up against the hypocrisy of the orthodoxy, who taught agape love.  (Never mind the miracles.)  From there developed the story of a man who would save the world.  What could be more powerful than the idea of a world in which all were treated equally with love and respect? (Especially among those who weren’t.)  Is it the man who would save the world or the IDEA of the manifestation of universal love within each one of us?

I believe the power in demythologizing an historical figure to a “mere mortal” is that we can identify with that person, if they can do it (embody a powerful idea), perhaps we can aspire to that same ideal.  It also forces us to examine what was more about this person that made the myth.  Perhaps that’s WHY they become mythologized, because they personified the ideal or do we believe it is out of our reach and therefore man makes it myth?  It’s rather like the formation of celebrity in our time.  Many aspire to be one but the fact is it’s hard to get there and therefore there’s a mystique around the whole thing and yes, Jesus was more than a celebrity.

In the Webster- Merriam dictionary the definition of demythologization is “to divest of mythical elements or associations.”   It seems that in demythologizing Jesus we get down to the argument regarding the worship of Jesus the man versus the application of his teachings called Christianity.  Or is that Christianity?  Hmmm food for more blogging.