Christmas Eve I; 4 pm
We have just witnessed a version of the Christmas story. On this night in churches around the world the Christmas story is being told with Mary and Joseph, shepherds and angels, maybe an animal or two, maybe some Wise Men, and a baby Jesus (either real or manufactured). Some of those stories are massively elaborate, some are simple; some have been rehearsed for weeks ahead of time, and some, like ours, are put together on the spot. But no matter the style, the story gets told.
And what is that story we hear?
It's the story of Mary and Joseph listening to an angel of God and choosing to not be afraid. It's the story of a poor couple traveling a great distance because of an imperial edict while she is close to giving birth. It's the story of the birth of Jesus. It's the story of angels telling shepherds of a holy birth and those shepherds going into town to see of what was spoken. It's the story of faith and belief.
On this day we celebrate and remember the birth of Jesus. On this day we witness what we have been waiting for all Advent – the arrival of the eternal God who was and is and will be choosing to be physically manifest and present in a vulnerable, fragile, new born baby boy. On this day we are made glad by the yearly festival of the birth of Christ.
But amid the celebration and amid the story, I want you to notice something that you may not have noticed before: that the birth of Jesus, while vitally important, is relegated to one, maybe two verses in the whole story. The rest of the story is filled with the reason Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem in the first place, why it was so crowded, angels, shepherds, and Mary pondering. More is said about the people and events surrounding the birth than the birth itself.
I think this is important for this reason: by their sheer existence, babies have a way of becoming the center of everything. We have a natural tendency to be drawn to babies and little children. This newborn infant, this God incarnate, drew people to him simply by being.
As we worship the Lord here in the beauty of holiness, let us remember this night. Let us remember that we were drawn here into the presence of God. We were drawn into the story through our participation in the pageant. We are drawn into God's loving embrace. And then let us each shine the light of this night onto a darkened world so that we ourselves may draw others into God's holy presence.
May your Christmas season be joyful and your New Year be blessed.
Amen.