Another
Possibility
“The
other possibility is that we have Christmas wrong.”
Tony
Robinson (Deposed; Advent Devotional 2015, United Church of Christ)
Before
you flip-out, let me explain. We want Christmas to be a poignant
event; family and shepherds gathered around sweet baby Jesus, all
comfy in his manger with adoring animals and angels singing in the
starlight above. But, here's Tony Robinson's version of the story:
“That second possibility would explain a few things. Like why a
young girl, an 'unwed mother,' is center stage, while a guy whose job
title is 'king' goes ballistic and orders a hit on a toddler. Or why
this birth takes place in an animal shelter and not the best birthing
room in town. Or why all the big time experts haven't a clue, while
three strangers with stars in their eyes are on course. God, this
God, is in the business of turning things upside down.”
Don't
get me wrong, I love that sweet, lamb-of-God story as much as anyone,
and most especially the music coming out of it. We can idle there for
a moment, but we can't get lost in it. Jesus came here to turn the
world on its head—he was a spiritual and social revolutionary. He was destined
to take everything his world valued, not just the Roman Empire, but
also the religious authorities of his day, and toss them
unceremoniously into the dumpster. He then turned to the people who
saw his true Light, mostly the fringe of society, the sick and the
dispossessed, and told them a whole new story. “Blessed are you,
blessed and not cursed, for you shall inherit the earth. You shall see God.” Can you imagine how
strange that sounded to people whom the authorities had barred from
the temple, would not deign to touch, or even go near? Can you
imagine how the authorities received his message?
It
is as it should be to rest along side the sweet babe in the manger.
We can enjoy this moment of peace and tranquility. But let's not miss
the message sent by the very circumstances of his birth. The proud
shall be scattered and the humble lifted up. That was his mission.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
No comments:
Post a Comment