At any rate, I have a few days off for Christmas and thought I'd take a moment to offer a short reflection. Over the past few days, I have been reading the accounts of the birth of Christ found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. For anyone (like me) who grew up in church, these stories can become so familiar that we are no longer moved by them - kind of a paradoxical unfamiliarity through familiarity. So I've really made an effort to read them with fresh eyes this week.
One of the ways I've attempted to do this is by trying to put myself in the position of some of the key players - trying to imagine how they would have felt as they lived out their part in this incredible story. Yesterday, I read the conclusion of the first chapter of Luke, which includes the birth of Jesus' cousin and future forerunner, John (who would later eat bugs and be known as "the Baptist"). I was moved by the words of his father, Zachariah:
"And you, my child, 'Prophet of the Highest,' will go ahead of the Master to prepare his ways, present the offer of salvation to his people, the forgiveness of their sins. Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God's Sunrise will break in upon us, shining on those in darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace." (Luke 1:76-79, The Message)
John's work of "preparing the way" - of presenting a new possibility to the people, the possibility of having their sins forgiven - sets the stage for an in-breaking of light; it opens the door for God to more fully arrive on the scene.
Our calling is not that different today. We also have the opportunity to "prepare the way," by telling people that God has a dream for the world, that a better world is possible, that a better way of life is available. (Jesus referred to this as the Kingdom of God.) This was ultimately what John did, preaching essentially the same message that Jesus did: "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand." This is often misunderstood to mean, "Be sorry for your sins, because you're running out of time and God is about to cut you down," when a much better understanding is, "Change the way you think about the world, because God's dream is ready to become reality."
As people respond to the invitation to change their minds and live better lives, the world is slowly but surely changed. God arrives; chaos is replaced with peace; the oppressed receive justice; the poor find their needs met. The Kingdom of God, the dream of God, takes another step toward completion.
So let us live our lives to prepare the way for a new King - one who will "take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings" (Isaiah 9:6-7, The Message).
Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year!
