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Op-Ed: The True Story of Christmas

Published

10 years ago

December 26, 2015

This week we celebrate Christmas — the mass celebrating the birth of Jesus the Christ — the Messenger. Across a country shaken by terrorism, the stores are festooned with lights, music fills the air and, despite the dismal realities of most, there is talk of good cheer.

As I write, the frenzied are rushing to buy presents and the party season is in full swing. The Christmas season is here! All that is missing is the reason for Whom we celebrate the season: Jesus Himself.

In truth, Christmas really isn’t about Santa Claus. This is not a mere holiday; it is a Holy day. For far too many, the presence of presents denotes the absence of the gift of Jesus the Christ, “to proclaim good news to the poor … freedom to the captives … sight to the blind … (and freedom) to the oppressed.”

Indeed, far too many of us still refuse to see that He was representative of most of today’s humanity — despised, denied, damned and dispossessed.

Like 71 percent of the world’s population, Jesus was born poor. Like more than 60 million the world over, He, too, was a refugee.

Like more than one-third of the world population, His family did not have access to adequate health care. Like more than one billion around the world — and 500,000 in the United States — He was a homeless Child whose life was of so little consequence that His mother was forced to give birth to Him in a stable of animals, as there was no room at the stable’s inn.

Yet hope was alive, for He came at a time of great expectation among the poor and the oppressed — just when they needed Him most.

The Prophet Isaiah foretold that “to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders” and that this Messiah world bring “good news” to the poor, empowering them to defeat their Roman occupiers and free themselves, saving them from political, religious and social persecution.

In this season, before we lock out the Syrians fleeing murder and violence, we would do well to remember that part of the story, for God stored His precious Son among those just like them.

Jesus was a liberator; but he was the Prince of Peace, not a man of war. He gathered disciples; He did not disperse armies. He converted, rather than conquered, His occupier.

He accumulated no worldly wealth, yet sought to empower and enrich the most decimated among us.

We will be judged, He told us, by how we treat “the least of these.”

We will be graded on how we treat the stranger on the Jericho Road. This week, He would expect us not to run up monetary debts, but to build up generosity credits. Let us spend some time this week helping to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to care for the broken-hearted.

You don’t need to be a Christian to understand the relevance of this story today. Jesus taught us the overwhelming power of faith, hope and charity, the importance of love, and the obligation to fight for peace and justice. Christmas is the “Poor Peoples’ Holy Day” and should not be co-opted by the rich, the powerful and the greedy as their holiday.

This Holy Day belongs to all. So, let’s make Heaven and Jesus happy this Christmas and face the terrors and tribulations of today’s world together, turning to each in love, not on each other in fear.

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

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Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

7 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

12 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.