Monday, December 22, 2014

Christmas Eve

Do You See What I See?

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

“Do you see what I see?” a popular Christmas carol asks. “A star, dancing in the night with a tail as big as a kite!” And I know that many miss seeing what is most important. Our rich world has claimed Christmas. But it is a Christmas without Christ. They have taken on the holiday spirit, the friendly atmosphere, the giving and receiving of gifts, and for the most part, the symbols of Christmas as long as they are not too religious. All of that is good, because the world becomes a saner and better place for a time. But it is not enough for us as Christians.

So let us take ourselves back in time. Let us observe the sights and the sounds of that first Christmas.

Do you see what I see? I see two people on a journey. It is a long and difficult journey. Because of the census, Mary and Joseph must uproot themselves, and leave their home in Nazareth to go to Bethlehem. It is not an easy journey at the best of times. A hundred and forty kilometers of hilly country to cover means a journey of several days. And with his wife almost ready to deliver her first child, it takes even longer.

I see them arrive in Bethlehem. It is a back road place close to the city of Jerusalem. Most people are headed there. So there are few inns to be found around Bethlehem. Most people who stop there have family. The rest must try their luck at the few small inns. I don’t see anything that I would call an inn. I see a few small homes with two rooms to rent out. The men all sleep in one room, the women in the other. Hardly the place for a baby to be born! Occasionally there is a small home with a guest bedroom, but those are filled by now with family members. By the time Mary and Joseph arrive even the courtyard is filled to capacity. And so they are led into a stable. And there a baby is born, and they name him Jesus. In him is born such hope for the world. But apart from a few shepherds no one seems to notice the miraculous event.

It is the spiritual side of Christmas that gets overlooked today. There are things that get noticed. Oh! There is a lot to see at Christmas! The season is a feast for the eyes. There are wonderful displays of lights on every street. It is truly magical. There are Santa Clauses and elves. There are reindeer nodding their heads. There are strings of lights hanging like icicles from the eaves of houses. If we went in to those houses, we would see wonderful sights as well. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, but there are few homes in Canada where you will not see a tree strung with lights and beautiful decorations. We put up wreaths and decorate with pinecones and holly. Candles are lit, their soft glow transforming our homes into places of peace and tranquility.

But do you see what I see? When you read the newspaper or watch the news, do you see chaos and strife, or do you see a world that has lost its way? Do you see sheep without a shepherd?

When you do your Christmas shopping do you see only hordes of people rushing madly about the stores, or do you notice the worried look on the young father’s face as he wonders if his unemployment check will stretch far enough to buy a few gifts? Do you notice the elderly couple at the cash register checking the total as each purchase is rung in? Do you see them regretfully put aside some of the items as they realize they don’t have enough money to cover their purchase?

“Do you hear what I hear?” the song goes on. “A song, ringing through the sky, high above the trees, with a voice as big as the sea!”

Back to Bethlehem! Do you hear what I hear? The lowing of cattle, the bleating of sheep, a dove cooing up in the rafters, the scurrying of mice in the straw … But keep listening, for there are other sounds to be heard. The cries of a young woman delivering her first child, her husband’s encouraging words, the baby’s first cry … And then strange sounds that remind me that this is no ordinary baby. Angelic voices singing out the good news! Those are the sounds of the first Christmas.

But they go unheard. Oh! The Christmas season is rich with sounds. Sleigh bells ring out even when there is no snow. Seasonal songs designed to make us purchase more, play in every mall.

But do you hear the silent sighs of the lonely? Do you hear the cries of the bereaved, who dread the Christmas season because it makes them feel even more lonely?

“Do you know what I know?” the song continues. “A child shivers in the cold. Let us bring him silver and gold.” But for much of the world the Gospel story of Christmas goes unseen, unheard, unrecognized.

Do you know that thousands of people die every day of hunger? Do you know that children go hungry even in Canada? Perhaps you blame their parents for their condition. “They get welfare. They just need to spend their money more wisely!” Do you know what someone on welfare gets each month? What about the working poor? They struggle to get by. They have no benefits. They live from paycheck to paycheck.

“Oh,” you say. “I know what Christmas is all about. I know the real meaning of Christmas. I know the sights and sounds and story. I understand. I know the Christ child.”

I hope and pray that you do, because so many people do not. But if we really start to observe and listen, then we will start to see the sights and hear the sounds of Christmas. Then we will understand that what we see and hear does not depend on the event, but on our participation in it. We share together in the Eucharistic feast, remembering that today salvation has come into the world. We pray for one another, for the lonely, the bereaved, the sick, and the suffering. It fills us with hope. We hear the sounds of laughter and joy because we furnished gifts and warm mittens and scarves to needy people.

From the manger Jesus radiates to the world a message of gentleness in the midst of conflict and violence, tenderness and goodness to a world of sinfulness, love to a world full of hatred and racism, light to a world of darkness, hope to a world of cynicism and despair. The stable is our destination on this holy night. As Christians we know that Jesus has not come just to spend a night. He has come to take up permanent residence amongst us, to live and die as one of us. Let Christ be born in us this and every day! I pray that you may have a blessed and holy Christmas! Amen

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