Come, all ye faithful

It is that time of year when many people celebrate the coming of the messiah, the one who would deliver the world from evil and corrupt influences and offer humankind a redemptive alternative. The festivities, of course, have been more of a commemorative nature so far as the actual arrival occurred two millennia ago, according to accounts left by sources close to the development. Knowing the propensity of humans to considerably erode standards and practices with the passage of time, the necessity of a repeat performance to nudge everyone back again to the path of righteousness is logical. December 27 as the date for a Second Coming appears appropriate too. The only problem is that a portly preacher from a small village in the middle of nowhere touted by one set of people as The One may not be easily accepted by others — much like the one whose birth is celebrated on December 25. Unbelievers and sceptics abound as much now as they did then, after all. And even if three wise persons — a concession to the age of gender equality — have been proclaiming His arrival, it is evident that a few millennia have eroded the authenticity of their wisdom, if not the arrogance of the powerful.

The only difference between then and now is that the would-be messiah’s message has a more potent medium these days as well as a greater potential for immediate and widespread impact: a relentless, if breathless, media. It plays judge and jury and has no hesitation in washing its hands of any and every sin it might be a party to. Then, of course, there is always Judgment Day for those who dare to deny Him anyway. But, in a contemporary twist, there will be several — across several states in India in 2012, to begin with. Judge not, didn’t He say, that you may not be judged?