Today, we celebrate the Word made flesh. We have heard the Christmas story so many times, in so many ways – in scripture readings, in Christmas carols, in retelling and reimagining of the story just like we did in our play today – it seems we have lost all the surprise and all the wonder.
The story goes, that Jesus was born some 2000 years ago, Joseph’s and Mary’s lives were changed forever that night. They had no idea what was in store for them. All they had was faith, hope and love.
We are so familiar with the story that it is just like someone revealed the spoilers for the movie that is so hyped up – are we still excited about Christmas, and are we excited about Christmas for the right reasons? Are we tired of hearing the story again and again? Do we go “Jesus was born some 2000 years ago, enough already”? Why do we tell the Christmas story over and over again?
Because, like Easter, the Christmas story happens again and again. Christ is still waiting to be made flesh. Again and again. In this world, so desperate for peace, so desperate for hope, and so desperate for love. This world that is in great need for change. But today, it is not that the inns that have no room – but our hearts that have no room. We have filled it with many other things – our greed, our selfishness, our gadgets, our things, our possessions. It is all about us. We have filled our hearts with things that distract us, and things that lead us away from God.
My friend Maria Ling-Lim wrote a Christmas prayer and I would like to share it with you.
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May the Christ Child be born in your heart
especially if your heart has been
broken by anger, hurt or resentment,
stung by criticism and piercings of venom,
twisted and wrung by betrayal and disappointed hopes and dreams,
struck by deep loneliness and paralyzing grief.
May the Christ Child be born in your heart
especially if your heart is
waiting to be made flesh again,
desiring the re-membering of broken pieces,
seeking wholeness and healing,
yearning for unmet needs to be met.
May the Christ Child be born in your heart
till God overwhelms your being with light all-glorious,
so it that overcrowds all darkened places with His shekinah glory,
enabling you to touch others with compassion and generosity,
empowering you to be a messenger of peace and reconciliation,
so that His glory may touch the parched places you encounter.
“Do not be afraid.”
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Christ is waiting to become embodied in you – so that you, me, all of us – the church – becomes the Body of Christ, and live like the Body of Christ.
Let us make room in our hearts for Christ, and may we have the faith, hope and love that Joseph and Mary had that sustained them then, now.
miak