The Beginning of the End of the World as We Know It

Grace Episcopal Church, Madison NJ

December 25, 2012

Christmas Day

Isaiah 62:6-7, 10-12

Titus 3:4-7

Luke 2:1-20

The Beginning of the End of the World as We Know It

            The last few months there’s been a lot of talk – most of it not very serious, I guess – about… the end of the world.

            As we all heard over and over, supposedly the Mayan calendar ended on this past Friday. And at least some people interpreted that as meaning Friday was going to be the last day – the end of the world.

            The song by REM, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” got a lot of airtime.

            But, obviously, fortunately – and unsurprisingly – it didn’t happen. The earth continued to spin on its axis and life – with all its troubles and sadness – life with all its hope and joy - went on.

            And, now, it’s Christmas!

            Even better, it’s Christmas at Grace Church!

            Yesterday we had a really wonderful Christmas pageant with our kids capturing the excitement of Mary and Elizabeth, the sleepiness and courage of Joseph, the majesty of the angel, the attentiveness of the shepherds and the nobility of the wise men.

            And then last night we had a big blow out – a crowded church, incense, and glorious music.

            Now, this morning, as expected, Christmas is here.

            And, actually, although we probably don’t think of it this way, Christmas really is the end of the world. Or, rather, Christmas is the beginning of the end of the world as we know it.  Christmas is the beginning of the end of the old world of hate and violence.

            The end of the world as we know it begins with the birth of Jesus.

            God’s restoration of the world into the land of love and peace that God has always meant it to be - begins with the birth of Jesus.

            God begins the long work of restoring the world quietly and intimately, with the birth of a child to a couple of nobodies who could barely find shelter for their newborn – who had to place him in a feeding trough meant for and used by animals.

            Last week, in a radio talk the Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Christmas is God’s small initiative – a single baby whose destiny is to change the world.”

            God’s restoration of the world begins with this small initiative – the birth of this holy child, “God with us” in a way that God had never been with us before.

            But God’s small initiative doesn’t stay small for long.

            Luke tells us that God’s small initiative almost immediately grows to include a group of nobody shepherds.

            And Matthew tells us that God’s small initiative grows to include wise men from the East.   

            And then, later, the God’s small initiative grows when Jesus begins his work of teaching and healing.

            Jesus travels around teaching people to love God, to love one another, to love our enemies, to forgive and to forgive again, to defeat violence by turning the other cheek, to give away our lives in loving service to God and one another.

            Jesus travels around healing the blind, the paralyzed, the possessed, and even the dead.

            God’s small initiative grows to include a little ragtag band of followers – a little band that will mostly abandon Jesus to die on the Cross.

            It won’t be until Easter – it won’t be until the empty tomb - when at least some people will realize that God’s little initiative that started in a Bethlehem manger was actually the beginning of the end of the old world  - the beginning of the end of the old world of hate and violence.

            It won’t be until Easter – it won’t be until the empty tomb - when at least some people will realize that God’s little initiative that started in a Bethlehem manger was actually the beginning of God’s restoration of the world into the land of love and peace that God has always meant it to be.

            And now, God’s little initiative continues to grow through our little initiatives.

            God’s little initiative continues to grow when we try to love and forgive the people who irritate us, who are mean to us, who don’t love or forgive us at all – and who even hate us.

            God’s restoration of the world continues to grow when we share what we have with the many people who have far less – when we drop a few cans or boxes into the Food for Friends barrel – when we donate food or energy to the soup kitchen – when we help people burned or flooded out of their homes.

            God’s little initiative continues to grow when we reach out to a beachside congregation whose chapel was washed away.

            God’s restoration of the world continues to grow when we unleash God’s love for one of our own – for a fragile little boy whose family dared to hope and ask for help – and they and we all received more than we could have imagined.

            God’s little initiative – God’s restoration of the world – that began long ago so quietly and intimately with the birth of Jesus - continues to grow with and through us - right here, right now.

            So, like Mary, this Christmas let’s ponder all these things in our hearts.

            And then, let’s do our part, let’s undertake our small initiatives, helping God to restore the world into the land of love and peace that God has always meant it to be.

            It’s Christmas!

            It’s the beginning of the end of the world as know it!

            Amen.