Isaiah 9:2-7
Luke 2:1-10
EACH TIME A MIRACLE
When I was 10 or 11 years old, I used to find myself thinking about the nature of existence. Long before I had ever heard of Rene Descartes’ famous quote “I think therefore I am”, I was wondering about what it meant to exist. I still do.
The question that used to roll around in my brain was “Do I really exist? If nothing was here, what would that mean – would there be nothing, or would the emptiness still be something?”
I guess it was my own twisted version of the philosophical riddle: ‘if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’
School had taught be that it is a big universe. I am so small compared to all that I know also exists. How could I possibly matter in the grand scheme of things?
I still think about such things.
In spite of the smallness of my existence, in my small corner of the universe there is so much detail, so much complexity, so much wonder that I am simply in awe of the fact that I am here – and perhaps even more amazing that I am able to think about stuff like this.
Life is a miracle. By that I simply mean, a full understanding of its origins are so elusive that I am forced to accept that I exist with understanding why or how.
For many of us this elusive source of life is called “God”.
Every time a leaf coverts sunlight into energy and reaches out a bit higher, it is a miracle. Every time a bacterium is nourished on some decay, it is a miracle. Every time a close-eyed little puppy finds its way to its mother’s teet and drinks in the milk of life it is a miracle. Every time a human child thinks its first independent, thought it is a miracle.
We exist. It is a miracle. I see it as the elusive work of God. God is in the world, in every breath and thought and instinct.
That is amazing and down-to-earth real all at the same time.
Is it really much more of a stretch to imagine that God slipped into the world in a special way through the womb of young Mary? The Hebrews have a word for it; we heard it in the Isaiah reading that started our time together this evening and we sang it in our first hymn: Emmanuel – it means ‘God-with-us’.
The birth of Jesus – God with us (Emmanuel) – what a miraculous thought! (#59VU)
SOMETHING NEW
Every day it is the same routine. Oh, there can be variety, but caring for sheep is a limited experience.
There was never a night like that one before. I don’t imagine, I’ll ever have one like it ever again.
It’s hard to explain what happened. It all began with the light. We were resting, taking shifts to watch the sleepy sheep. And the night was sliced open by more light that staring at the sun on the summer solstice. Instinctively, I turned away from the light, but I realized that my eyes didn’t hurt to look at it. I was afraid, but I knew I had to stay. This was something important.
And then, I felt the voice. I know strange choice of words – to feel a voice. I’m sure I must have heard it with my ears, but it was in me as well. “Don’t be afraid.” And in that instant, I wasn’t. Those words lovingly warmed me right to my core. “Good News. The Saviour, the Messiah, is born. Like King David, the baby has been born in Bethlehem”; just down the road from here.”
Messiah – God’s anointed ruler. I felt singing too: “Glory to God. Peace on earth.” Did this mean the end of the roman occupation, I wondered? How long would we have to wait – sixteen, twenty years maybe, until the child was old enough to mount a revolution?
I now know that I had the idea a bit wrong – the revolution was not simply a political one, it was a revolution of the heart, of the soul, of the very essence of who we are.
The birth of Jesus was something new. A new way of living. A new way of believing. A new way of seeking peace on earth and giving glory to God.
And this continues to be new each day. Each wonderfully blessed day. Glory to God. Peace on earth indeed. (#38VU)
PONDER THE CHANGE
17 [The shepherds] made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what [they] told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
It seems that Mary was quiet. I wonder how she really felt about all of these visitors after she had just given birth. I guess that still happens today. There was lots of conversation about what the shepherds had said about this child being the Messiah. But Mary lay there quietly, with Jesus resting against her breast. I imagine, her looking down at him. At the miracle that every child is to her or his mother at that moment. She watched his little breaths; his small movements; his eyes opening and closing. And she was quiet. At least she was quiet on the outside. Inside, her mind raced.
She thought about the last year; engagement to Joseph; that strange messanger, telling her she would bear God’s child; the controversy over her pregnancy; Joseph’s compassion and honour – he had believed her unbelievable story, at least enough to stay with her. Now these shepherds, who she didn’t know, had gotten a similar message. Could this young baby, her baby – be that special?
This was going to change things. Not simply the way having children always changes things. But if this child is the Messiah, God’s anointed, even God’s child alive on earth, things are going to change.
While the others talked about the wonder of the moment, Mary pondered the changes that were coming.
//
What difference does this make for us? Does Christmas change us? Can we believe that God-is-with-us in Mary’s child?
Years later, Jesus would live and preach a radical love and compassion. He would speak against the practice of judging some as non-valuable. He would show, by example, that each life deserves to know love and forgiveness and wholeness. Jesus would ask people to follow his example.
What difference does that make?
If we are not simply alone in this exisitence. If God is that miracle behind the elusiveness of what we don’t understand and that this elusive God touch this world in the life of Jesus, what difference does that make?
I hope we’ll all ponder that question. And live out the answer we discover. (choir)
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