A Reflection for Christmas Day All Saints Episcopal, Southern Shores, N.C. December 25, 2023 Thomas E. Wilson, Guest Preacher
Isaiah 52:7-10 Hebrews 1:1-4,(5-12) John 1:1-14 Psalm 98
Light Into The Darkness
Today, Christmas Day 2023, all the time of the shopping, pageants, services and the receiving presents are over. It is now time to be still, marvel and give. It is now time to be still and know that the Word, God's very Spirit, has entered into all of our lives in the life of Jesus, and those who came into contact with him. As the Gospel says “...all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.”
The Gospel lesson from Christmas tells us that the Shepherds went home marveling, and Mary pondered in her heart while caring for her child. Now that it was over, it seemed time to ask what did this all mean?
What did it mean for say the Innkeeper and his wife,? I wonder if they had thoughts like this?
The woman was so tired from walking so far. She had to travel 4 days to cover the distance of walking with a pregnant woman over 40 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Our first thought was “Lady, We didn't ask you to get Pregnant. We have a business to run and the point of living is make enough money that you can provide for your family and not be a burden on the community. Like we always say; “When times get rough, we have to be stronger and rougher!”
Except, there was something when we looked at this couple we remembered the times when times got rough for us and some people, out of love, gave us help. It was like I was feeling a Spirit coming into our hearts asking me to be a light into the darkness this family was going through. It was like I was being told, maybe the child in the darkness of his mother's womb needed to be born into the fulness of light. Maybe it is the time, like the Psalmist sings; “Sing To The Lord A New Song!”
What did it mean for the Shepherds? I wonder if one of the Shepherds had thoughts like this:
The Angels said, “Fear Not”. I spent my whole life looking for God acting in this world. I heard stories about God being made plain to other people or in other places, but for schmucks like me it was God which was that something that happened to other people. Yes, I go through the religious obligations and services and other, luckier people seem to enter into it all but something, I don't know what, has always kept me from committing myself. I saw a baby, and I thought that was all that I had seen. But as I get still, I wonder if I don't see God better not in the Angels, not in the singing, not in the ritual, but in the still small moments of life like the new baby. Maybe God is telling me that the Divine is in every incarnation. The family we saw is a disposable family- I've see hundreds of people like them on the road; their lives go nowhere. At least I have a job. Yet, maybe this child named Jesus is the one who God uses to open the door for us to see the full worth of God in every disposable person. Maybe the full love and worth of God are even in those people I work with, some of them seem to be bad news and can be difficult. Maybe the experience of this child is pointing that it wasn't just one Holy night but that all days and nights are holy. I wonder if this is what God was saying through the angels and this child? Let me be still a bit longer and ponder this and then maybe look again at all those disposable moments and people in my life.
What did it mean for Mary? I wonder if she had thoughts like these:
The Angel nine months ago said: “Fear not.” I just think that words are not good enough; there are too many other scary feelings besides fear.. Joseph says he loves me; but I doubt if he, or any man, has any idea of what it means to be pregnant, day in and day out. I have to put on a smile, after all he did accept the Angel story. But I am 14 years old and I missed the neighbors ooh-ing and awe-ing about the wedding celebration. Everybody knows how to count to nine and the looks of pity my parents got from the leaders of the town. I know, I know pity washes over me from time to time, despite how much I love my baby. We, Joseph and I, should have, and I wish we had, more time to go through the courtship stage before we got married. He is old and if he really knew all the things that I had thought while living with him, I'm afraid he would be so hurt and offended that he might never come back. It happened too fast!I was just about to lose it when those noisy, unwashed and half drunk- that would be the only way to explain their behavior – shepherds who said that they were just in the neighborhood. I had to smile and be nice- because what can you do when it seems like your home is a pigsty. At least there aren't any pigs, but I was afraid I would scream at them and tell them to leave me alone. I am so afraid of so many things. I'm afraid, I'm afraid I am not going to be a good mother. Look at this child, so small. He felt so big inside me and don't get me started about him coming out. I could drop him. I could hurt him because of my inexperience. I might say things to him that might scar him for life. What if he grows up to hate me for being so insistent on having things my own way? Or, if he gets irritated at my own neediness. Yet, he is a gift, a gift given out of love. As I hold on to him, can I hold on to that concept and each time see not just him but to look through him, or his behavior, to the gift he is? I am surrounded by gifts I don't deserve. Who knows maybe the shepherds were a gift? Maybe being in a stable was a gift?
What did it mean to Joseph? I wonder if Joseph had thoughts like these?
OK, we have the child now and we are in Bethlehem due to those no good Romans wanting to keep track of all the people they rule over. God knows the journey we will have to take before we get home. I've fulfilled my promise to love Mary and the child. Nazareth is such a poor small town that I am barely able to make a decent living being a Carpenter. I am going to have to work harder. I may have to go work in the bigger Greek speaking city, Sepphoris which is four miles away. I could find more work for my sons from my first marriage and when Jesus gets older, there would be enough work working for the rich people who build bigger and bigger houses. I made a promise to take care of her and our son. I use the word “Our”, because I am claiming him to be my responsibility and I will love him. The Spirit that has rubbed off on me tells me that people are not defined by blood but by the presence of God's Spirit.
I wonder what does this day means to each of us?
Light Into The Darkness
Bumping into furniture in an empty room,
Walking as if knew where I was going,
Swept to where the wind was blowing,
Yet, hoping my Body's spirit to exhume.
Needing a light to shine on this darkness,
Finding ways to kindle old damp matches,
A Faith that was used to scripture snatches,
Moving into a quiet spirit of inwardness.
Being still to all the old tired solutions,
Which used to work so easily in the past,
But into “I'm not in Kansas anymore” cast
Getting rid of attachments to institutions,
Start by standing where light is to share
With others having the courage to spare.
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