We FINALLY got a measurable amount of snow here in Connecticut (not that I want the 22 inches that Minnesota got this past weekend but the inch we got was nice, especially with how cold it has been). And between the snow, my new found obsession with cheesy holiday movies on Hulu, and general Advent/Christmas prep, I have been thinking a lot about the Christmas story lately.
And no not "A Christmas Story," the cheesy holiday movie that runs for 24 hours non-stop on some cable network on Christmas Eve, but THE Christmas story, the story that is told in churches across the world on Christmas Eve and Christmas as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. More accurately I was thinking about how little of story that many of us know is not actually mentioned in the bible.
In finding a question for this week's Book of Faith puzzler, I googled "Christmas Bible Trivia" and found this quiz. Try it, take it yourself and see what you get.
I mean many things I knew or realized but only because I have recently read Luke 2:1-20 in preparing for Christmas Eve services. The donkey is never mentioned, nor the inn. The angels didn't sing and the wisemen (which we don't know how many there were) didn't arrive on the scene until much later.
I think most people who have studied any scripture realize that Jesus was probably not born in December, and those who know a bit about early Christianity and Greco-Roman cultural realize that December 25 was a date adopted from another pagan celebration and that Jesus' birth wasn't celebrated until centuries after Jesus' death.
But then what story do we tell about Christmas?
In the midst of all these holiday movies and television specials, about 2/3 of which revolve around Santa and the other 1/3 about families being together for Christmas. The same is true on the radio stations that have been playing non-stop Christmas music since the day after Thanksgiving. Only there I would say 2/5 of the songs are about Santa, reindeer, snowmen, etc, 2/5 about being with family and loved ones and the remaining 1/5 are classic church Christmas carols that have been rerecorded by popular artist.
So in the midst of all these stories about Christmas that aren't the story of Jesus' birth, how can we retell the story of Christ's birth in a way that doesn't add myths to scripture and yet doesn't get lost in Santa, gift-giving and family moments?
How can God coming to us in the form of an infant "out sell" a jolly fat man who brings gifts to boys and girls?
How can a pregnant teenage girl giving birth compete with a "Christmas miracle" happening as strangers are brought together who suddenly believe in Santa or help out a person in need?
How can an angel who appeared to some poor guys in a field to tell them about a birth of a boy contend with a major recording artist singing about snow and mistletoe?
How can shepherds running from their field into town to see what the angels foretold even balance a story about a person defeating all travel adversities in order to make it home in time to spend Christmas Eve with a loved one?
No wonder why Christmas has become so commercialized, the commercialized part of Christmas has better stories!
But the Christmas story that churches tell on Christmas Eve through scripture and carols does not end there. The Christmas story, the REAL Christmas story is not something that happened on one night 2000 years ago when Jesus was born. The Christmas story continued through Jesus' life and death. The Christmas story continued through the ministry of Jesus' disciples and the Christmas story continues each time a child is baptized. Christmas in the church is not just day, it isn't even 12 days, but constantly, continually happening. And while many real-life things can't compete with Hollywood "magic" that happens in stories about Santa, many of those stories about families being brought together or a person realizing how great his life is (i.e. It's a Wonderful Life or The Christmas Carol) happen not because of Santa but because of Christ.
Hmmm I got a little sermon-y in here maybe I should expand on this for Christmas Eve's sermon?
No comments:
Post a Comment