I am spending a couple of days helping my family around Christmas: tomorrow we sit down together at a restaurant and celebrate the incarnation of Christ. Last night Mum told me with pride that the vegetables were from the garden — including some from her youngest grandson’s garden.

And the night before I cooked for my son and I: we ate fish and peppers on noodles. Cooking is part of life. One of the good things about the Antipodean Christmas is that the holidays generally start with people coming together over a meal.

At this time when we tend to forget that God became incarnate in a babe we also tend to forget that he will come again, not as a babe, but as a judge. And we need to have reformed ourselves. Continually. As I have (literally) washing to do today after a few days exercising: as we need to physically wash our bodies so we need to, daily, return to Christ and confess our errors and sins, and then to one another.

And, having cleared accounts, pray for another. For we want to be in the city of God, and at that feast. Unlike the meal tomorrow, it will have no cost.

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

(Revelation 22:12-17 ESV)

Part of washing ourselves is being gentle with one another, and caring for one another. It is not standing on one’s status and complaining that things are unfair. Things are always unfair: true justice will not come in this world. It is far, far, better to be merciful with each other and encourage each other into reformation of life, that we can be more like Christ.

There is a reason all those of faith treasure the religious who preceded us, who wrote about a fervour for holiness, and who kept their consciences tender. For this age does not value this. This age does not value the structures that keep us chaste — be they single sex hostels and flats, to courting with a duenna, to remaining in marriage.

Heck, the progressives if this age take pride that they cannot cook.

This is an old charge against feminists, but one which has typically only been considered superficially. The real reason feminists are ugly has nothing to do with their physical appearance. Feminists are ugly because they are miserly with love.

One of the effects of feminism is that men of my generation have had a much wider opportunity to cook. I can’t think of any men my age or younger who don’t know how to cook. Moreover, I can’t think of any men of my generation or younger who don’t enjoy cooking. This is in stark contrast to the women of the same generations, who (typically) view cooking as an indignity. The reason for the difference in attitude boils down to what cooking is all about. Cooking is an act of love, an act of service to others. It is an opportunity to care for others in a very fundamental way, to literally nourish them through the work of your own hands. This is precisely what troubles the modern woman so much about cooking (or cleaning, or changing diapers). Serving others in the mind of a feminist is an indignity, so cooking, cleaning, or any other act of service and love is the object of revulsion. Women now actually compete to show off their miserliness in caring for others, each trying to outdo the rest in proving they are the greatest scrooge with love. It has gone so far that large numbers of women are quite proud of the fact that they have never learned to cook or otherwise care for others. Their miserliness is a badge of honor. Not all women have adopted this extremely ugly worldview, but the ones who are going against the grain of the culture here understand better than anyone how uncommon their loving and caring attitudes really are today.

Christ is coming, and it could be quite soon. The iniquity of this time is increasing, and within the church we are not immune. If you are in a sewer you stink. But we are supposed to be more like a lye soap, cleansing the pipes, than people glorying in the filth we have collected.

We are not supposed to be like the world. We are definitely not supposed to be part of the elite, or the vanguard, or the political thought police. We are to care for others, even our enemies.

So let us not be like our enemies. Let us not use their tactics. Let us not live like fools. Let us acknowledge that we are all fallen, all subject to temptation, and build structures that encourage us to live in righteousness: be they as families, or as fraternities or sororities of righteousness.

The world corrupts and produces filth. Let us all wash our clothes, and love one another.