Monday, January 4, 2010

Christmas Eve

Luke 2:1-20

This is the story of Claire, a little angel. Even though she’s not mentioned in the Bible, she was still very much present for the birth of Christ.

All of the big angels are talking and singing—God is doing something amazing for the people on earth, but Claire doesn’t really understand. It sounded like Gabriel told that young girl that she would give birth to God. Claire isn’t exactly sure just how God plans to become a baby, but it sounds like God the Creator, is sending God the Word, to become human, incarnate, and God the Holy Spirit is working to make sure all the right people understand. At least that’s what Claire thinks she’s heard.

Claire and the other angels have been watching over Mary from heaven, praying for her and doing what they can to keep her safe. They have been watching Joseph too, helping him to understand this miracle that Mary so easily accepted.

The time has almost come for God the Word to be born and things are getting complicated. On earth, the human emperor has decided he wants to know just how big his empire is and so he’s taking a census, asking every person to be registered in their hometown. This means that Mary and Joseph have to travel to Joseph’s hometown of Bethlehem. This could be a dangerous trip for them, but it’s also important because it will fulfill the prophet Micah’s prophesy: “you, O Bethlehem, . . . from you shall come forth one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old” (Micah 5).

And so Mary and Joseph are journeying across the rocks and the hills, joining up with various caravans as they enter Bethlehem. It’s such a small town, but so many people are here! Claire has trouble from time to time picking them out of the crowd! Claire and one of the bigger angels, slip down from heaven, and walk among the people on earth, invisible to their eyes. Night is coming, and Claire watches as Joseph and Mary search for a place to stay. They don’t know anyone there and all of the inns are full. Mary’s starting to cry, Claire can see that she’s worried about giving birth to her baby on the street and she sends Mary just the tiniest encouraging bit of warmth to keep her spirits up. Finally, it seems that an innkeeper has taken some pity on them, because they are young and poor, he won’t give them his own room, but he will let them stay in his stable, where they will at least be dry and warm. Claire is upset that God is going to be born in a barn like a calf, but the bigger angel smiles at her, this must all be part of God’s plan, God’s great reversal, that God almighty will be born on earth as lowly as possible.

Claire watches as Joseph faithfully helps Mary deliver the baby. Mary wraps him tightly in bands of cloth and she lays him down to sleep in a feeding trough since it’s the closest thing they have to a crib.

Again, Claire thinks this is just wrong and horrible, that God—now as the infant Jesus—is lying in a food dish! Surely the other angels could have helped with something better. Couldn’t Jesus have been born in a palace with lots of blankets and a proper cradle? But the bigger angel whispers to her, a quick story of how Jesus will one day feed thousands of people, he will share meals with sinners and thieves, and he will even use a loaf of bread and a cup of wine to explain the sacrifice of flesh and blood that he will make. Claire shivers at the thought of this tiny baby, so wrinkly and pink, ever doing these things, ever suffering. But she understands that the manger makes sense, and is somehow a proper bed for this new child.

Claire can’t stop staring at the baby, he is just so amazing, Claire, of course, has never had any doubt of God, but just looking at this baby, she can tell that he’s really a human baby, but she can see that he’s God too. She just has to tell someone, but who? If they were in heaven, they would start singing, but can they do that on earth among these tired, worn out people?

Just then the bigger angel, takes her by the arm, and they disappear, out of the town, to the hills nearby. The bigger angel must have shared Claire’s thoughts, because she leaps into the air and spreads out her wings and her heavenly glory to the shepherds who are watching their flocks. Claire holds her breath as the shepherds cry out in fear—“oh why are they always afraid of us?” she thinks to herself. But the bigger angel is wise and says: “Do not be afraid for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”

Then Claire and a great many of the other angels from heaven joined in singing their song: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace and goodwill!”

When the song was over, all of the angels, but Claire departed for heaven. She slipped in among the sheep and watched as the shepherds talked of this amazing thing that had happened. They said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

And Claire, flew along with them, silently, and invisibly, as they went with haste and they found Mary, Joseph and the child lying in the manger.

And they went out into the town and the fields and told everyone of the angels, and the young family, and the tiny, infant Messiah, of the child who has been born unto all of us, and everyone was amazed. Everyone accept for Mary, and for the little angel Claire, who pondered all of these things in their hearts.

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