Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Lights of Mystery and Promise

A sermon delivered on Christmas Eve 2014, following a live nativity performance.


Much like all the characters in the story we just witnessed – the wise men, the shepherds, and even the unruly animals present on this holiest of nights – we too have been drawn to one place by a light – the birth of Christ Jesus, the Light of this World. We too have, in some way, been magnetically pulled in to witness the mystery that lies at the center of this drama. And just as the original cast came together, each with their own unique concerns, so too do we who are gathered here this evening have our own reasons for coming… We come for the hope and transformation that’s found in the birth of God-with-us! 
But, none of us can fully understand our need for this hope OR the significance of Christ’s birth, unless we first pause to hear the rest of this story we’ve just witnessed. For, yes, it is true that there is a cuteness and familiarity to the first Christmas—with all its angels, and swaddling, and cuddly barnyard animals—but… there also was a harsher side to the world into which Christ was born.
For, much like the world we know, it too had real people, who experienced real pain and struggles. And they also had to contend with violence, corruption, and prejudice. And we catch glimmers of this when noticing just why it was that Jesus’ family was traveling to Bethlehem in the first place. For Jesus’ people were being taxed and controlled against their will by Rome’s invading armies! And so, as is true of much of human history, we see that the setting of this first Christmas was neither serene nor without its challenges.
But it was into this darkness that Christ’s light first beamed! And, I think, knowing of these struggles can help us understand why the Magi, shepherds, and even the animals sought refuge in Christ’s light… and maybe a little about why we too draw near. Maybe we can even see some of ourselves in the concerns of these characters... For instance, I envision the Magi as society’s “successful people” – those who commanded respect… maybe rode the Lexus of camels, if you will... They suffered no want for food or fear of being thrown to the streets. But… they also would have been familiar with the emptiness of mere outward success.
As Jim Carrey, the famous actor is quoted to have said, “I wish everyone could get rich, famous, and have everything they’ve ever dreamed of… so they would know that it’s not the answer.” The Magi would have understood this… for they were intimately familiar with their own still lingering hungers for fulfillment – for the desire to connect with others… and ultimately..  God. And so the Magi ventured out, following the promise of this mysterious light.   
Next came the shepherds—our story’s blue-collared heroes. They worked hard, thankless jobs that still left them teetering on the brink of ruin. They knew, first-hand, the stresses of living in this broken and sometimes brutal world… of having to sacrifice luxuries (or maybe even meals), so their children could receive medical care. The shepherds are they who hunger for relief… and for justice in this world. And so the shepherds, at the angel’s bidding, also set out to follow this promising, yet mysterious light.    
And lest we forget the animals, who remind us of all the other creatures we share this planet with, we see them too draw near. For they represent our struggling environment, damaged by human excesses… and from them we hear cries for temperance and God’s restoration.
The truth is, on any given day, we can find ourselves identifying with any or all of these characters—the Magi, shepherds, or the sheep—but with Christ and his birth into this world, we find all our longings simultaneously gathered together and fulfilled. For Jesus is our long-awaited salvation and hope! He lies at the source of this light and satiates our every need! And the clues have been there… right in front of us.. all along… for we find Jesus, this little baby, not-so-subtly laying in a feeding trough!
As if saying to us, “I’ve only ever come into this world to be consumed! Not looked at, admired, or enjoyed from a safe distance… but to be taken in, digested, and to become part of each one of you!” Tonight we encounter this truth at the source of this light that’s drawn us all together. And in this mystery of a God who came to be with us as one of us, our prayers for wholeness and healing are answered, as are our hopes for true communion with each other AND peace for this world!
Tonight we see that, despite our various situations, Jesus is the hope that meets us where we are! He comes to us despite our world’s condition. He is the light that dispels darkness… by laying down his life for ours.
And we then are challenged to go and do likewise… to be this for others. We are drawn together so that we can be sent out.
And when we go… when we do so… when we take those steps—like the magi, shepherds, and even beasts who went before us—we discover that God’s mystery and promise will be there burning brightly within each one of us… to faithfully light our steps along the way!

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