Father
John McGinn, Rector
I was waiting in line at the East Sandwich Post Office and only one clerk was working at the counter. The line was moving slowly, and the man in front of me began to fill out a check.
He was hoping to the speed things up. Unsure of the date, he turned and asked me. “It is the 21st,” I replied. Before he could write the date in, a man from
the back of the line cautioned, “Oh, I wouldn’t write the date in just yet.”
(Laughter)
It is late!
Maybe you have had a similar experience at the
post office or elsewhere this Christmas season.
Many of us are breathing a sigh of relief, “Christmas is here.” There is no story more loved than this.
In those
days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the whole
He went there with Mary who was pledged to be
married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there the time came for the baby to be born. She gave birth to her first born son and
wrapped him in swaddling clothing because there was no room for then in the
inn. There were shepherds in the fields
nearby keeping watch over the flocks. An
angel appeared to them "and the glory of the lord shone around them and they
were terrified. The angel said to them,
‘do not be afraid. I bring good news of
great joy that will be for all the people.
Today in David there has been born a savior unto you. He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to
you. There will be a baby in swaddling
clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly
a great company of the heavenly host appeared praising God, and saying’
Glory to God in the highest and peace
among those he favors.’”
This simple story contains so much. And for many centuries it has been preached
and talked about, but I think in it we see God humbling himself on our
behalf. It is amusing. Measly humans puff themselves up to more than
they are, but God who is the creator of the universe humbled himself for you
and me.
I was reading Charles Seymour, sixth Duke of
Somerset. Charles lived at the turn of
the 18th century. He was such
a snob; he refused to even speak with his servants. He communicated with them through sign
language. He also had a number of houses
built throughout his property so when he traveled he would not have to be near
common folk at the inns.
If you contrast Charles Seymour’s approach to life
with that of God, see god in the person of adult Jesus ministering to lepers
and sinners. See him reach out to the blind, deaf and the physically
challenged. Humans can be snobs, but not
God. God’s love will not allow him to
stand off at a distance. God came into
the world as a babe in
In the story from Luke, we see a young couple
devoted to one another. Christmas is a
family celebration. It was from a very
beginning. Joseph hears the angels’
voices and knew he could trust Mary. She
was devoted to him and he to her. They
devoted themselves to taking care of the baby she was carrying. Christmas is not only the story of God’s
love, but also of human love.
Did you know the most popular American song ever written
is Irving Berlin’s White Christmas? It is a simple tune, most of you
know it by heart, but I won’t sing it…I’d love to, but…
“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the
ones I used to know.”
In 1971 I was in the
Christmas is a family celebration. We have a God who humbles himself and a young
couple who cling to one another as they await the birth of their son. We have the shepherds, at the earlier service;
we had about twenty of them. We had
sixty children in the pageant this year.
What would the Christmas story be without the shepherds? Probably millions of men’s bathrobes over the
centuries have been used to dramatize the guests at the first Christmas. The shepherds represent the least and the
lowest in society. Their social status
was nil. That is an important
point. We have a responsibility to the
least and the lowest in our society.
I read a story about a family who went to a restaurant one evening and encountered a very awkward circumstance. It is a beautiful story.
We were the only family
in the restaurant with children.
I sat my infant son, Eric, in a high chair and
noticed every-
one else was eating
quietly. Suddenly Eric squealed with
glee and said “Hi,
there!” He pounded his fat baby hands
on the tray his yes
were wide with excitement and his face
was bared in a
toothless grin. He wiggled and giggled
in
merriment. I looked around and found the source of his
excitement;
it was a man with a tattered coat. Dirty
and
greasy, his baggy pants
had a zipper at half mast and his
toes poked out of his shoes. His shirt was dirty, his hair
was
uncombed and he was unwashed. We were
too far from
him to smell, but I was
sure that he smelled. His hands
waved on loose
wrists. “Hi, there baby, Hi, there big
boy.
I see you!” said the
man. My husband and I exchanged
looks, but what could we do. Eric continued to laugh and
answer “Hi, there!” Everyone in the
restaurant looked at us
and then at the man, an
old geezer was creating a nuisance
with a baby. Our meal came and the old man shouted “Do
you know patty-cake? Do you know Peek-a-boo?” No one
thought the old man was cute, he was obviously drunk. My
husband and I were embarrassed, we ate in silence. All except
for Eric who was running through his repertoire for the skid
row bum, who in turn
reciprocate with his own comments.
We finally got through the meal and my husband went to pay
the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old
man was between me
and the door. “Lord, please let me out
of here before he speaks to me or Eric” I prayed. As I drew
closer, I turned to shield Eric, but he leaned over my arm and
reached
with both arms in a baby’s ‘pick-up’ position.
Before
I could stop him Eric had propelled himself from me to the man,
and a smelly old man and a baby consummated their relationship.
Eric in a gesture of total trust and love laid his tiny head upon the
man’s shoulder. The man’s eyes closed
lashes. His aged hands gently cradled my baby and stroked his
back. No two beings
time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Eric in
his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened
and fixed
on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, “You take
care of this baby.” Somehow I managed “I will.” He pried Eric
from his chest and the man said “God bless you, Ma’am. You have
given me my Christmas gift.” I said nothing more than a muttered
“Thanks.” With Eric in my arms I ran for the car, and my husband
wondered why I was crying and holding Eric so tightly and saying
“God, forgive
me.” I
love shown through e
innocence of a child who saw no sin and made
no judgment.
A child who saw a soul. I was a
Christian
blind, holding a child who was not. I felt that it was God asking if
I was willing to share my son for a moment. God had shared his for
all eternity. This ragged old man had reminded me that to enter the
kingdom of heaven, we
must be as little children.
God who
humbles, a young couple who clings to one another, a mottled group of smelly
shepherds, all this and more. Angels who
sing from the heavens, wise men who come from afar and a babe in a manger where
animals normally ate. What more could we
ask of a story? Not a thing.
It reminds us that in the shallowness of the
materialism of a world that is longing for peace are those things that really
matter. God, family, a responsibility
for others. Christmas. Can any word be more beautiful than that one?
Christmas: a celebration of love. AMEN