December 25, 2024 ☩ The Nativity

on Luke 2:1-20 & John 1:1-14

“The Presence of Christ, the very best Present”

Christmas is here again.  If you know my theology well, I believe time is not linear for God the way we perceive it.  Our liturgies, our celebrations of holy days, all attempt to draw us into the actual lived history.  We are called to recognize the signs of Christ’s Presence in the world as the shepherds saw the star.  We are beckoned by a bright symbol in the heavens to travel afar – seeking Christ with our very selves, perhaps enduring a grueling trek to places we may have never been before.  We are drawn to the foot of the trough that served as a manger for a humble King – so fragile, yet so powerful.  We are a part of the living history – a term theologians call “anamnesis.”  We live the history, though we are far from it.  This way of perceiving time challenges us to not just ‘hear’ the account of our faith, but to be a part of it… then and there as well as here and now. 

So, here we are celebrating Christmas.  The signs and symbols overwhelm us, in a joyful way, shaking us loose of the dreariness of the darkness of winter.  And as is customary for the birth of loved ones, we share presents(gifts).  We also share our presence with one another. 

There’s a strong focus on getting presents and the joy that comes with the surprise.  Yet, there is a beauty and wonder that surpasses that when we give.  A part of joy that exceeds giving gifts is having the reason or excuse to be present with one another.  And it is a busy time, so time is precious, and yet we carve out that time for one another – even our communities as we support various charitable organizations or ministries in the Church.  As such, the most treasured present we give is our presence.  Our presence is a gift of time.  Time is the one resource we cannot create more of and is the most valuable resource for each person.

Presence being a most valuable gift that our God delivers to us this most Holy Day.  The celebration of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ is when the world, as evident by the witness of the shepherds and wise men, received the tangible gift, or present, of God’s Presence in his Son, Jesus Christ.  We celebrate an extension, too, of the Incarnation – the “Word made flesh.”  I say extension because we recognize that Mary’s pregnancy was the first evidence of Christ’s Presence in the world.  Thus, the Incarnation began at the Annunciation to Mary by Gabriel, and became ever so real to the rest of the world upon Jesus’ birth on Christmas.  It was a process of the Presence of God Incarnate unfolding into the world, being revealed in stages.

Now Christmas traditions can narrow our understanding of Jesus’ Coming into the world.  With any pregnancy, we know something incredible is at work. Yet it can be difficult to fully comprehend the gift of the presence of a child (except, perhaps, for the mother) until that glorious birth day.  And Mary, the holy Mother in all her faithfulness, with the committed support of Saint Joseph brought forth a Light into the world like no other.  In this Light we have the tangible evidence of God giving us His true Presence—- the best present!

Humanity over the millennia has had periods and cultures anchored in the study of the created world.  Philosophers of Ancient Greece studied natural patterns of gravity and movement which led to the formation of Mathematics as we know it.   Eons prior, Egyptians formed similar studies that enabled them to create the magnificent structures they built while supporting and sustaining their communities with advanced water delivery systems.  Hundreds of years ago, during the Renaissance, Europeans reaffirmed an affinity for the provable, those things that could be experienced with the five senses, measured in time, size, and energy. 

Still humanity experiences much greater things than can be measured, touched, tasted, smelled, seen, or heard.  Over the course of Advent, we embrace a few of those experiential emotions: hope, peace, joy, and love.  These are not measurable, but are felt deep in one’s heart, subjectively. We know they are real despite not having a way to universalize - in magnitude or quantity, in value, or in efficacy.  We practice embracing what we cannot see, though we feel evidence of it. 

In faith, we have hope because our God has given us purpose and time to understand it and live into it.  We find an inner peace because we know our God himself sees such value in each of us to make himself present in the world.  We find joy in the love our God demonstrates to us, in solidarity, with utmost empathy truly walking beside us in Jesus Christ.  Ultimately, we love because we know we were loved first.  God reminds us in this simple gift that sometimes when living out our faith to love our neighbor, we are called to love first… and faithfully.  When we do, we give “glory to God in the highest heaven!” [Luke 2:14a]

Jesus gives us the simplest lesson: “Be present.”  We never need all the answers, but when we can sit with others through empathy and compassion, we are present.  Sharing our life with others, is a most treasured gift of time, the gift we were first given by our Creator.  May we cherish the gift freely given to us by sharing it with others in this season, and beyond.

In the second chapter of Luke’s Gospel of the nativity of our Lord, the angels appeared to the shepherds bringing them good news. 

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’  [Luke 2:8-14]

This is quite an extravagant scene to behold.  Could you imagine being faced with a multitude of angels singing God’s praises pointing the way to the God Incarnate in our midst?  Still, the most powerful part for me in this is just after the angels had left the shepherds.  At this point, the shepherds must decide what to do next. 

The shepherds responded: “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” [Luke 2:15b]  Now is our turn to respond to that same call that beckoned us here to bear witness to that glorious event from millennia ago of the true Light being made known in the world.  Go now to see this thing that has taken place in the hearts of all people.  Go now to see the wondrous beauty of Creation.  Go now to see the hope, peace, joy, and love God has infused into the world.  Go now, to see what the shepherds saw.  Go, be present for others, and share your time, and most importantly, hope, peace, joy, and love.  Be a light in the darkness for others.

Amen.