Christmas is good news!
It
all began when I was asked to tell the story to Mainly Music children
and parents. Little did I know the invitation would lead to a fresh revelation
of God - a revelation that would be essential to anchor my soul during a storm
that was about to break.
But
I get ahead of my story. I went looking
for a Christmas story picture book that would be suitable for preschoolers. I
had used children's stories from Lost Sheep website before so to Lost Sheep I
went. Downloaded "O Little Town Of
Bethlehem" and thought this will work. Then, I read the story. It was not
the traditional Christmas story! No baby Jesus in a cave type stable outside
the town. In fact, it was to my thinking, so untraditional that I discarded it.
In the meantime, a book recommended by my more scholarly friends came into my
possession. "Jesus through Middle
Eastern Eyes". The first chapter discussed
the advent of Christ. My “western” ideas
of the Christmas story were shaken up. The story from Lost Sheep was more in
keeping with Middle Eastern culture than the Christmas cards, and picture books
European traditions have given us. The children's story and the academic
textbook maintained Jesus was born in the heart of an ordinary everyday village
home - a home shared with the animals and the manager. True. On the ground
floor the animals were kept safe and secure for the night, especially in winter
and on a mezzanine type floor in the same room the family lived, benefiting from
the extra warmth the animals gave. The room on top of the house, accessed by an
outside staircase was the guest room. Re-read the gospel story - yes the guest
room, the room on the roof was full but no self- respecting Middle Eastern
village would turn away a couple from their hometown or put a woman outside who
was due to have a baby. They were brought into the heart of the home., into the
family’s private space, the space shared with the animals. I had to stop and
rethink the account of Jesus’ birth.
In
Matthew's story Jesus is called "Immanuel" meaning God with us. Jesus, God with us, was born right in the
heart of the ordinary, everyday lives of an ordinary every day, messy family
home. Jesus, God in the flesh, became just like us, as Eugene Peterson says in
the Message Bible "he moved into our neighbourhood". As I pondered God with us, as I revisited the
Christmas story with different eyes and a different perspective, a perspective
given in a delightful children's story, I began to realise again how amazing
the birth of Jesus was - God became flesh and blood and came to dwell with us,
right in the heart of our homes, our lives in the ordinary every day. Not in a
palace, not excluded outside, but right inside the primary human unit the
family. He comes in human form right
into the heart of his creation – animals and people. God couldn't get any
closer could he? He would but that's
later in the story.
Suddenly,
Jesus’ birth took on a whole new level of meaning and intimacy. This God, the
maker of heaven and earth, the designer of the universe the creator of birds,
fish, animals and people never intended to be distant from his creation. He
came to dwell with us and through Christ he would come to dwell in us - that
close, that intimate - it is an astounding thought. Jesus, born in a simple
home, right in the middle of mess, animals, and family relationships means this
same Jesus is not put off by our mess, our families, our insecurities, instead he
came to dwell with us. And the same
words spoken to Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and kings are the words he
speaks to us today “Fear not, for God is with you”.
God
with us - this is his promise throughout scripture - verses began to jump off
the page with the phrase "God with us". Isaiah 43:1-6 is one such
passage. God encourages Israel not to be
afraid even if they walked through fire, or flood God would be with them. These life things, these overwhelming
traumatic things God would walk with us through them.
I
had already walked a rocky path all year and suddenly my path became rockier -
my father was admitted into hospital with heart failure. He was a hairbreadth
away from a major heart attack, but God was with us. We spent that Christmas in
hospital sitting with Dad waiting for heart surgery. Into our mess that
Christmas, Christ was “born” – God with us.
It’s
been eight years since that Christmas and Dad lives to see his 94th Christmas!
As I sat with the children and heard the Christmas story again, reflecting on
this year, this oh so hard year of covid, trauma, grief and change, this same
revelation, this same picture of Jesus, Immanuel, being born right in the
middle of human life anchors us again. “Fear
not, God is with us!” Because God is with us, up close and personal, he will
walk alongside us through fire, flood or whatever else life throws at us. This
is the very good news Christmas gives.
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