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First
Reading
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Psalm |
Epistle |
Gospel |
Isaiah 9:2–7
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Titus 2:11–14 |
Luke 2:1–20
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We have no idea why God chose Mary & Joseph. The Gospels are wise enough not even to suggest a hint. We have no idea why the angels chose to appear and sing tidings of great joy to certain shepherds on a particular hillside outside of Bethlehem, and not to other shepherds on the hills over there. We don’t know why only a few magi would observe and believe in the significance of a new constellation and follow it on a difficult journey to a far off land, and no other astrological scholars would join them.
What we do know is that all the cast that are represented in our traditional crèche scene did hear, or did see, and did respond to God’s call, to God’s invitation to a great world-changing, cosmic birthday party and ever after they have lived as witnesses to a new birth that continues to profoundly move and deeply shape our existence.
If I were to ask, “why are you here tonight?”, I would not be surprised to get answers such as “My parents made me come” or “I didn’t want to disappoint Nancy”, or” I always attend St. John’s and this is one of the ways I celebrate Christmas”, or ” I was just curious what you folks here do at Christmas”. All these reasons are perfectly fine to acknowledge for they all make up a complex matrix of circumstances that have contributed to us being here. Yet perhaps the most important reason that we are here together celebrating the birth of Jesus, (and this may be unnerving and frightening at first) but the main reason we are here is that God called us, God invited us to be here, just as God called Mary, Joseph, shepherds and later the magi. At some level, with varying degrees of consciousness and commitment, we have responded and roused ourselves from our usual routine and taken a different route tonight.
Let’s be clear we have not been called and gathered here together because we are better than our neighbors who are not here, or because God loves us more than someone else living out in the fields away from this enlightened city. Again there is no answer to the question why the angel went to Mary and not to Martha who promised to be equally as good a mother, who lived right down the street and was the best cook of latkes in the neighborhood. Christmas is not about God producing a gala award show just for those who show up first. Rather those who show up are offered the opportunity ever after to be change agents of the human heart. Do not fear, we don’t have to have all our lines perfect or develop the voice of an accomplished orator. Christmas is not about human perfection and that can be easily obscured beneath the cultural wrappings of sentimentality and nostalgia. Children have the right idea when they don't pay attention to the Martha Stewart coordinated ribbons, intricate bows and chic patterned wrapping paper, but quickly tear through the paper and cardboard to get at the real present. God calls people of faith to tear off and discard all the extraneous and stifling packaging that confuses or plays into the selfish purposes of the world. God calls us to rip open the tape and boxes in which the world tries to hold Christmas bondage or limit to a select fortunate few. We are expected to open up and reveal the gift that God has not given up on humanity nor will be discouraged by the world’s poverty and violence, deterred by the world’s exploitation of the weak, or frustrated by barriers that marginalize and exploit.
At our Bible study this past week, it was asked, how did the shepherds know where to find Jesus. After all to be told that they will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger is not much to go on. Remember there was no star over the stable and the angelic choir departed and went back into heaven. The night was dark and silent. The birth of Jesus was like the ordinary birth of any poor child born in tough and trying times. There were no helium balloons marking the street to the stable. Yet Christmas is about affirming that out of a small band of shepherds, out of a stable behind a small country inn, out of the misery of refugee camps, out of the protests of women daring to defy the ranks of armed security forces, there may come good news to the oppressed and terrorized of this earth, and there is a dynamic, that may not be logical, that may not be expected or assumed by the world, but a deep death-defying dynamic nonetheless that overcomes the sword of tyrants.
How did the shepherds find the stable? It's not a question that much different than how did we really find St. John’s, Ithaca, on this December night in the year 2011? Truthfully, it is a mystery that confounds our logic. For both shepherds and for us, it always has been God that has shown us the way and that is why we are here together to celebrate Christmas. Look around. God is very, very glad we are all here! And when you depart from here, know that the message the shepherds received and delivered from the angels is our message to receive and pass on too. Like Christmas itself, the message may be translated and interpreted on many different levels. “On earth peace and God's favor towards mankind", "peace on earth, goodwill to all", "peace on earth and among mortals, divine good wishes" are several of the variant translations of ancient manuscripts. However the message is communicated, it is to be shared with the world, not just among ourselves. So know this: whatever the particular circumstances that brought us here, we are sent into our world rejoicing, for tonight we become the midwives of God’s grace in the 21st. century. Merry Christmas!
