Many of our world leaders continue to be blusterers who rampage through the marketplace to grab hold of power (see "Mayhem in the Marketplace") or who puff themselves up and pretend to be heroes (see "Mayhem in the Marketplace Part II"). These world leaders vent their anger on the ones who are in their crosshairs. They declare the superiority of their ways and at best cut off anyone they view as not worthy (and at worst they destroy them). They grasp their own version of righteousness and reject all other ways.

But, the Kingdom of Heaven ruled by the Prince of Peace is still here.

Living the Defiance That Is Mary

Our blustering world leaders will be brought down from the thrones they did so much rampaging to get, and they will be scattered no matter how much they puff themselves up. In her Magnificat, Mary announces the One who "…has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance of their hearts." She speaks of the One who "…has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position."

He is the One she gave birth to at Christmas.

So, we can celebrate the audacious presence of the One who gave up power and was born a helpless baby and who later demonstrated leadership by washing his followers' feet.

We can stand on the rock of the One who didn't try to gain empire-like power but rather launched his kingdom into the world to grow like seed or permeate like yeast; unstoppable, even by pompous leaders who believe their destructive ways to be the one true way.

We can orient ourselves around the One who considered the sad and the defeated – and not the victorious – to be among the blessed.

Living the Defiance That Is Ordinary Time

And then when Christmas is over, we can keep on living, thinking and voting as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven that was established by the One who basically said that if you want to be great, you have to be a servant.

And those world leaders? We'll treat them like the flawed human beings they (and all the rest of us) are. We will recognize that there is nothing about them that makes them entitled to fame and power. We will not be tools for their empire.

That is the defiance that is Christmas.