Embodied Promise

This story has become so familiar that we hardly hear it anymore. It has become the almost unnoticed backdrop to give a reason for our celebrations and commerce. For many, Christmas means holiday parties, baking, an abundance of food, making lists and checking them twice, shopping, Christmas concerts, and various other activities. For students it means vacation and a break away from studies. This is what Christmas may feel like for the many. Business and tv movies tell us this is what we should hope and desire and maybe even anticipate Christmas to be.

However, there are those for whom there is no family, no Christmas concerts, no presents to buy, either because there is no one to buy for or there is no money to buy them. There is loneliness, struggle, and hopelessness. So, as we go into this time of reflection whether we have an abundance of resources, family, joy and hope, or if we come into this time with pain, challenges, fear, lack of resources and few to none who can be of support, this is story of a babe born to a young woman and her husband, a story of God’s love that holds promise for you.

Let’s start by reimagining the Christmas narrative. We have our manger scenes in homes and churches yet we have sanitized it all. In these stories and pictures Mary does not look like she has given birth with clothes stuck to her from the sweat of labour and birthing waters. We dress her up in a blue robe and give her a sense of royalty. We do not see the fear in Joseph’s eyes as he watches over the two, knowing that on this night he was unable to provide the lodging that would have been more appropriate for such a moment, nor is there a future hope of prosperity.

And as we imagine the scene, we have been led to believe through myth and legend, through translations from ancient Greek to English, that the couple were thoroughly alone, left out in the cold. But we don’t know if they were alone. We are told that they were in with the animals, yet, it is likely that they were actually in the same structure as extended family. Maybe not in the guest room, as all the house may have been filled, but certainly not far from others. Because of the beloved hymn, Silent Night we image that animals and people stood in silent awe, yet the animals would have been making noises. I have yet to be in a area holding animals where all was silent. And even more so, baby Jesus would have been not so quiet as he entered the world and then cried when hungry. Yes, he would have been quiet when he slept, but don’t clean up the humanness of this story.

Mary and Joseph had finished what was a long trip, found a place to rest that was not the most aesthetically pleasing or sterile place to be when giving birth or even coming to the end of a long day…but they were safe, warm enough, and accommodated.

So, there we have that part of the story. But this story of a family coming to Bethlehem and a baby being born is set against a backdrop of power, force, might, and control. Caesar the Saviour of the Empire in juxtaposition with Jesus, Saviour of the World. Caesar clothed in majesty and might, sleeping in a palace, commanding an army at will, declaring the Peace of Rome established in domination, and governing over an empire built on the taxation and work of those considered peasants. Thus the reason for a census.

Then there is Jesus, wrapped in bands of cloth, in with the animals, born to peasants, no money, appearing to have nothing to offer the world and as a baby, no might, no power to control anything. Yet, his birth is announced in majesty and mystery, as we heard read,

Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord…¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

They knew their scriptures; they would have recognized the words from the angels as something they had learned and memorized over years. The hope of Isreal had always been that someone from the line of King David, their most revered leader in history, would once again come and take the throne, would save them from oppression. With angels announcing the birth, the shepherds would have wondered, Is this the one? Is it finally happening?

God has a way of turning the world upside down. People didn’t expect Jesus then and even now. People did not expect God to weld power in compassion and love. People expect power to dominate in ways that mean someone is always suffering, that someone, some human person, has power over another. It always means someone is oppressed.

Yet, as I said, for God, power is about love, compassion, light, peace. And this is not just for a few, but for everyone. God is about freedom, freedom to love and grow as human beings and as societies of care. Jesus was and is the embodied promise of God’s hope, peace, joy, and love. This love has an abundant capacity for compassion, generosity, and grace.

Jesus comes to us as a child, vulnerable and powerless. His birth happens in the shadows of empire. The empire…and governments even today… especially those that wish to dominate others, give valuation to human life based on what a life can offer in terms of commerce, taxation, and labour. If you don’t produce you have no value, if you don’t conform to what is acceptable in terms of colour, race, culture, or sexual orientation your value is indexed. We don’t need to look far, including this country of ours, to see how some are expendable or deemed unworthy, while others are lifted up and admired regardless of how self-absorbed they are or how poorly they treat others.

To this Jesus comes as Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus comes as the most vulnerable one can be, grows up, then teaches, heals, and restores people. People were not ready to hear him or see him, especially those with power, because power does not like to be interrupted or threatened by the supremacy of another. Yet Jesus shows up anyway, the son of a carpenter and yet the Son of God. God and human, love and judgement, all rolled up in one example of grace and forgiveness.

Some come to church once or twice a year to hear the stories on these high and holy days, and we are glad you are here, but to understand the depth of this life of Jesus, the love of God, the communion of the Holy Spirit, this takes a lifetime of learning. Today you are invited to embark on a journey of learning who Jesus is, how God’s love transforms lives, and how the Holy Spirit moves in, around, and with us in the world.

Our worship, the community of faith called the church, how we work together, how we grow and are ourselves transformed, experiencing the fullness of love, grace, and forgiveness that comes from God, we do that in community. We do it together. We don’t do it perfectly, but just as Jesus embodied the promise of God to change the world in and because of love, we learn to live that in our life together. When we do that, we can change each other and our community.

As Christians together, who love others simply because they are each created by our loving God, regardless of religion, economic status, colour, creed, border, or whatever else we can use to separate ourselves from another…we commit to being part of a movement to lift up those who are on the margins, those who suffer, those who need to know they have value simply because they are human person and we commit to each other.

Of all things, remember that we celebrate Christmas each year not just as a past event, but as an ongoing invitation to recognize God’s presence in vulnerability, in community, and in each person. When present powers choose to control, God breaking into the world through the birth of Jesus is a choice for compassion and care and that is why this story is told year after year.

This is Christmas, vulnerable, human, extraordinary, unexpected, and powerful. To live the Christmas story is to share hope, peace, joy and love in vulnerable, human, extraordinary, and unexpected ways that have the power to change and transform lives.

May you experience and share that transforming love and grace of God today and always. Amen.

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