Christmas Courage

St. Paul’s Church in Bergen & Church of the Incarnation, Jersey City NJ

December 24, 2018

Christmas Eve

Isaiah 62:6-12

Psalm 97

Titus 3:4-7

Luke 2:1-20

Christmas Courage

            Merry Christmas, everyone!

            Over the past few weeks so much hard work has gone into preparing for tonight’s celebrations and all that will follow tomorrow and in the days ahead.

            For weeks, the children and their teachers ran through the pageant and that hard work really paid off earlier this evening.

            The choir has been diligently rehearsing.

            The greens and flowers have been gathered and artfully arranged.

            The silver and brass have been vigorously polished to a bright shine.

            The bulletins have been carefully edited and printed.

            And, now – on this holy night - we have gathered to hear and to celebrate this old story that no matter how many times we hear it never seems to get tired.

We have gathered in this beautiful place to hear the story of God coming among us in a new and unprecedented way – the story of God coming among us not with thunder and lightning – and not even with trumpets or drums.

            No, tonight we have gathered as Christians have gathered through the ages to hear and celebrate the old story that somehow never gets tired – the story of God who loves us so much that God came among us as a helpless infant, born to a couple of nobodies in an out of the way and terribly uncomfortable, and even frightening, place.

            This year as I reflected on this story I was struck by what the angel says to the terrified shepherds:

            “Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.”

            “Do not be afraid.”

            “Do not be afraid” is what the angel had said to Mary, too.

            And, later in our story, that’s going to be a big part of the message proclaimed by the grown-up Jesus: do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid.

            And so as I think about Christmas this year, I think, yes, I’m sure we could all use some “Christmas joy” but maybe what we really need is “Christmas courage.”

            I’ve been in the priest business for a while now, so it kind of surprises me how different dimensions, other elements, of these old and holy stories touch me, depending on what’s going on in the world, what’s going on in our community here, and what’s going on in my own life.

            These past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on what we might call the backdrop of the gospels – the fact that when Jesus was born and walked the earth the people of Israel were ruled by a huge and brutal empire, an empire led by an egomaniacal emperor who cared nothing about the wellbeing of his people, an emperor and his deputies who were only concerned about their power and glory.

            It’s not an accident that Luke begins the story by telling us that the emperor used his enormous power for a census – an imperial headcount that uprooted at least some of the people who probably could least afford it, including Joseph and the heavily pregnant Mary.

            When Jesus was born and walked the earth, anxiety and fear were in the air.

            And so, the angel says, “Do not be afraid.”

            And, sure enough, as I read this old holy story today I’m struck by how all of the central characters display so much courage.

            When the angel appeared to Mary with the shocking news that she was chosen to bring this holy child into the world, although she is amazed at this news, she courageously says, “yes” – she says “yes” to God – say “yes” despite probably sensing that there will be a high cost for her and a high cost for her child.

            When Joseph is presented with the news that his fiancée is pregnant, he knows that he’s not the father. But, from the start, Joseph very decently wants to save Mary from public shame but then, much bolder even than that, Joseph courageously chooses to stick with Mary and her child, knowing that this holy family will surely be gossiped about – and they’ll face worse trials than that – for years to come.

            And, then, to get themselves counted, Mary and Joseph courageously head out onto the road, which back then was always a dangerous undertaking, all the more when the due date was so soon.

            And, then, Mary and Joseph had no choice but to bring this most holy life into the world, not at home surrounded by people who loved and cared for them, and not even sheltered in an inn but in a barn or a cave, placing the newborn king into a feeding trough meant for animals.

            And, how about the shepherds, too, right?

            They take the angel’s word for it and rather than hurrying back to their work and their low-profile lives, rather than playing it safe and just minding their own business, the shepherds chose to head for Bethlehem and to see the newborn Messiah for themselves.

            And, as the story continues there will be even more courage, as the wise men courageously follow the star and courageously outfox Herod.

            There will be more courage as Joseph and Mary and the child flee the dangers of their homeland, desperately looking for peace and safety, counting on the welcome of strangers.

            Over and over, the characters in this old holy story show so much courage.

            Christmas courage.

            And, I believe that this courage was in fact a gift from God – the courageous God who chose to come among us in and through Jesus – the courageous God who chose to become as a helpless infant – the courageous God who chose to offer us love knowing full well that this offer was likely to be flatly rejected by us in a most terrible and heartbreaking way.

            And, yet, despite everything that will happen to this newborn king, despite the ways that today we continue to reject God, God never gives up on us.

            Which is really good news, because I don’t need to tell you that the backdrop of our own time is not so great – anxiety and fear are again in the air.

            And, I know that so many of us – all of us, probably - bring our own personal burdens and worries to tonight’s celebration.

            So, I hope that all of the hard work and the beauty of this place and, most of all, the power of the story will bring us some much-needed Christmas joy.

 And, as we remember the story of long-ago courageous people who carried and welcomed and protected Jesus – as we rejoice at the courageous God who loves us enough to come among us - my prayer is that we’ll take into our hearts the message of the angel - the message of the grown-up Jesus:

Do not be afraid.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Amen.