Dr Martin Francis Sankoorikal

The Christian dictum of human flourishing formulated by St Irenaeus, “Man fully alive is the glory of God” seems to be the apt Christmas message for our turbulent times. “I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” (John 10:10). This emancipative dimension of incarnation is to be read against the background of Prometheus, the punished god of Greek myth. Prometheus is idealized by Marx as a hero of progress and emancipation. The fire Prometheus brought from heaven is identified as man’s chief weapon in the tussle between nature and the supernatural. Thomas Merton offers a corrective reading of the Enlightenment version of the Promethean spirit, which portrays God as an enemy to human freedom and flourishing.
Merton differentiates between the Greek mythical gods, who are reluctant to give the fire for human progress and the Christian God who descends into the earth in view of human flourishing. His comparison between Christ and Prometheus is worth reading: “No one was ever less like Prometheus on Caucasus than Christ on His Cross. For Prometheus thought he had to ascend into heaven to steal what God had already decreed to give him. But Christ, who had in Himself all the riches of God and all the poverty of Prometheus, came down with the fire Prometheus needed, hidden in His heart. And He had Himself put to death next to the thief Prometheus in order to show him that in reality God cannot seek to keep anything good to Himself alone.” In this regard, McLelland’s analysis of Francis Bacon’s Prometheus study, is also worth mentioning. In his analysis he connects Hercules with the incarnated God, who travels to redeem human race, is worth quoting: “The voyage of Hercules especially, sailing in a pitcher to set Prometheus free, seems to present an image of God the Word hastening in the frail vessel of the flesh to redeem the human race.”
Christmas reminds us about our responsibility to join the initiatives in view of integral human flourishing. In this regard, two pertinent questions remain: What kind of fire leads humans to theosis? What is the ideal way to actualize this theosis: Enlightenment Revolt or Kenosis of Jesus Christ? Is the Promethean revolt the only way to materialize human flourishing? Christmas gives us the right answer. Has the Kenotic model of self-emptying in incarnation got a key role to play in actualizing integral human flourishing? Ascending of Prometheus to steal the fire of heaven and the descending of Jesus in incarnation to elevate human race are to be read in this background.