The great Canadian scandal of 2024 is part of the great scandal of history, which we celebrate at Christmas.

“Scandal” here has two meanings. Both mean shocking, but one regrettable the other an occasion to marvel.

As to the latter, theologians call it the “scandal of particularity,”meaning that God does not promulgate a set of principles, like a global constitution or learned treatise. Rather, the Christian faith is a story, with particular characters acting in particular places at particular times. And God is the principal character, who acts in history even though He exists outside of time; who enters the created world even though He is its creator. It is the marvelous scandal of particularity.