“Come, let us adore Him.”
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12, NRSVUE
I walked into the Sanctuary after worship on Sunday, where church members were decorating the church for the Christmas season ahead, and the feeling of Christmas was in the air. Though it was drizzling, windy, and bitterly cold outside, the Christmas music playing inside provided warmth like on that Christmas long ago. Looking for something to do, I was asked if I wanted to finish putting together the Nativity scene. I held each figure and carefully placed them in the manger scene, positioning them as the biblical narrative portrays. Each character had a story to tell, and I listened attentively. What were the animals thinking? What were Mary and Joseph reflecting on while gazing at the newborn child, the Messiah, Emmanuel (God with us), the Savior of the world? And what about the shepherd whose sheep probably tagged along to see where the shepherd was leading? The Magi are also part of the nativity display, although the author of the Gospel of Matthew places them later in the narrative. What was their journey like, and how were their lives changed after finding Jesus?
One thing they all had in common was that an angel appeared to them to give them direction, comfort them in their fears and doubts, and assure them that what was happening that night was of God, from God, and was God visiting the earth in the form of a child, with the sole purpose to show us what love is, how much we are loved, and how we, too, can love as God loves. Kneeling before the manger scene and wondering about the sounds of that night is very peaceful. It’s as if the world comes to a halt and allows time and space to bring us up to speed on the real meaning of Christmas. This moment may be the only opportunity to be still before the season’s busyness catches up with us, and we forget, as the adage says, that Jesus is the reason for the season.
I stood back and looked at the completed manger scene. As I admired the scene and pondered in my heart, I was reminded to remove Jesus from the manger and to hide him until Christmas Eve. Hide Jesus? How can one hide Jesus after finding him? Finding Jesus is like those moments when you see something and then cannot unsee it. I finally found a spot to hide baby Jesus from the manger. While baby Jesus may not appear in the manger scene yet, remember that we must keep Jesus alive in our hearts, present in our words, and visible in our actions for all to see and follow.
A blessed, peaceful, and transforming Christmas to you and yours!
In Christ,
Pastor Iraida