Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Christmas Eve, 2008

A Great Light!

Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light," proclaims the prophet Isaiah. To be out at night for the Hebrew people of Isaiah's time was to be quite literally in the realm of darkness and death. Travellers faced great danger. In that nomadic culture camping out was not an adventure, but a way of life.

The darkness holds similar dangers in our cities where women have marched to reclaim the night. And in our Northern Hemisphere with its long nights and short days darkness permeates our lives at this time of year. There is even a medical ailment connected to the lack of sunlight experienced during our long winters.

We also experience darkness in a figurative sense. The image of darkness is one that has devastating power in the twentieth century. We live with the knowledge that humankind is capable of great destruction. Terrorism has hit every part of the globe. There are wars and famine throughout our world. We live also with the knowledge that we have caused ecological damage to our planet. We have cut down our rain forests. We have overused our resources. We have polluted the atmosphere to such an extent that it has damaged the ozone layer of the earth causing who know what repercussions. Economically and politically these are dark days. We long, do we not, for light to penetrate the darkness of our planet.

It has been said that the birth of a child gives humanity another chance. How much more is the birth of the child in Bethlehem a source of hope to a world deeply concerned about its future? Who can deny that Christmas brings light into the world? It is no wonder that people who have little concern for spiritual matters the rest of the year celebrate Christmas. For a time the world cannot help but become a better place as we reach out and help one another in ways unheard of at any other time of year.

It is true that the way Christmas is celebrated goes from the sublime to the ridiculous or at the very least tacky. And of course there is the problem of what to call this holy day! I understand that the words of many Christmas songs have been changed to reflect society’s desire not to offend non Christians. So we have the “Twelve Days of Winter” and “We wish You a Happy Holiday”! One commentator wondered if he needed to change the title of a Christmas song to “It’s beginning to Look a Lot Like Thursday”! As Christians we need to deal with the whole issue of secularization, especially at Christmas. How do we reconcile the two extremes? It will do little good for us as Christians to turn it into a battle. In fact that goes counter to all that Christmas means. I suspect it is by understanding that even in the most secular response to the season a sense of promise and hope is stirred up. We can remember and share the joy that we feel as we celebrate the good news that Christ is born in us.

No matter what name it goes by Christmas will continue to stir up feelings of peace and hope. Perhaps it is connected to our childhood memories, some futile attempt to go home again. Is it a hope or even an intuition that this Christmas season of such abundant childhood treasures also holds something miraculous for the adult? We must then view Christmas as, not simply a religious holy day, but also as a cultural event. We must acknowledge that once the trappings of Hallowe'en have been cleared away, our whole society will begin to prepare for Christmas. Not the Advent preparations that we as Christians undertake, but preparations nonetheless! Then we can begin to consider how to make the Christmas celebration of the secular world a spiritual happening.

In an attempt to sort out what is essential, most people undergo a sort of repentance at Christmas time. They experience the mystery of the season. They may name it the 'joy of giving' or ‘Holiday Spirit'. It usually involves relationships, re-connecting with family or friends. People may begin to search for an alternative to the materialism of society. It is no mistake that many find their way into our Churches as Christmas approaches. There is a genuine desire on the part of society to start on a new path.

For those who come to Church faithfully Sunday after Sunday, it may feel that their own celebration of the feast is diminished by the very fact that cultural expressions of Christmas become dominant. Our tendency is to want to reclaim the birth of Christ from secular culture. Perhaps a better quest for us is to ask how we can bring a spiritual depth to a season that is at the same time both cultural and religious. How can we take advantage of the interest secular society takes in the birth of Christ? How do we make it a pastoral opportunity instead of an annoyance? How can we ensure that Christmas becomes a time of spiritual awakening and renewal? What is it that we have to offer that secular society will understand and embrace? How do we help people who walk in darkness see the great light that has come into the world? How do we share the good news that Christ is born in us?

Is it through the Spirit of sacrificial giving? Reflect for a moment. Recall first of all a Christmas when you gave a gift and it meant something special for you to give it. Now recall a Christmas when you received a gift and it meant something special for you to receive it. Is this so far from the spiritual centre of the Christian faith? "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." That too is the great truth of the Incarnation that God dwells among us.

The authenticity of Christmas rings through because it reminds us that a loving Saviour sought us out and came among us. That possibility brings great hope, a hope that transcends the darkness of our lives and fills them with light. Christ, the light of the world is born in us this day.

An ancient legend, the Golden Carol, tells how at the moment of Jesus' birth all of nature sprang into new life. The whole of creation from the smallest particle to the angels in heaven was aware of the event. Stars began to move across the sky. The water in a Roman spring changed into the finest oil. Vines in Spain flowered and bore sweet grapes. Animals surrounded the manger. Angels appeared on earth, radiating light that caused the cocks to start crowing as if it were dawn. Jesus, the light of the world, became reality in a woman's womb. Jesus the light of the world becomes reality as Christ is born in us. We need the light of that new dawn to shine in our own lives, in the lives of those who are dear to us, in our society, our environment and the whole world. May that happen to each and every one of us this Christmas! May Christ be born in us!

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