Reverend Ref +

CHRISTMAS DAY

Today we hear the second half of Luke’s account of the birth story. Last night we heard about the census, the birth, the manger, the angels and the shepherds.

In our minds eye, or at least in our cultural eye, we have created this scene over and over. Sweet Mary, smiling at the Christ child, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Joseph, the proud father, doing what dad’s have done for thousands of years. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes. And the shepherds are staring wide-eyed and bewildered at the kid.

I think this in an invention of city-folk. When you live in a city, one often longs for the simpler country life. It’s quiet. You can see the stars. There’s no hustle and bustle. And oh, by the way, wouldn’t this be a wonderful setting for Jesus to be born in?

But we know different. Mary and Joseph come to Sheridan for the census. But they were late, and the Moriah Motel was all booked up. Luckily Sherry has a little shed out back and she let them stay there. Better than nothing. They had a little heat and were out of the cold. Not perfect, but it would do.

And then there’s the baby. We all know what babies are like; and if you think Jesus was this little bundle of perfect calm and grace, think again. I’m betting that he had colic.

So here’s the family, outside in a stable full of animals; a young girl exhausted from the trip and now a mother; a dad who knows he’s not the father but has pledged to take care of these two people; and a new baby who won’t shut up. Add to this mix a bunch of shepherds who crash the party and announce that angels have told them that the kid is the Messiah.

"And Mary pondered all these things in her heart." I bet. A young girl, unmarried and pregnant by bizarre circumstance. Angels visiting not only her, but her relative Elizabeth, her fiancé Joseph, and a bunch of shepherds. Giving birth to a colicky baby in a stable. What did God have in mind?

What God had in mind was a little light. Babies, even colicky ones, shine a little light into our lives. Eventually the kid will stop crying and go to sleep. And any parent can tell you that when the baby sleeps, you just watch him or her lay there, breathing softly, peacefully, and you soak that up.

And as this baby grows, there will be good times and bad times. And the best of times are when you hold the child, say, "I love you," and they say, "I love you, too." This is what God had in mind.

All those other gods – Zeus and Neptune and Molech and Baal – those were different. They were either superhumans who messed with our lives, or they were some far off diety whose only relationship with people was sacrificial. What God had in mind was a new way of doing things.

This new way of doing things involved real relationships, and the only way that was going to be accomplished was for God to take human form. The relationship of parent and child. The relationship between teacher and student. The relationship between friends. The relationship between believer and seeker.

The Incarnation of God is a wondrous thing. We can look into the wide eyes and goofy smile of baby Jesus and get a glimpse of the light of God. As he grows, we can watch him struggle with life, just like we struggled. As an adult, we can share our stories with him over pizza and beer. This is what God had in mind.

And now, some 2000 years later, we are the shepherds. We are the ones who saw the light of the angels last night. We are the ones who stood in awe staring at this colicky baby who would be Messiah. We are the ones who leave that scene and tell others that God is with us. We are just as much a part of this story as the characters in Luke. We know what it’s like to love a newborn baby. We know what it means to experience a relationship with God. But relationships take work, and they will die if neglected. Let’s not relegate God to the pages of the bible; but like the shepherds, let’s tell the world that God is with us.