This Christmastide finds us in confusing and trying times.  The news reports a new nuclear arms race; unimaginable.  It just keeps getting more and more unsettling. 

In the midst of this chaos, comes the Divine Light, human like us.  Years of teaching about “disruptive technology” leads me to think of this world changing event as the ultimate disruptive event of all time.  Into the chaos of the Jewish community enduring the Roman Empire, the Word became Flesh.  The Light made a dwelling among us, to be with us; to bring “Light and Life” to our everyday.

Each year we sing this heartily in the hymn “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”  Again this year, I muse at Wesley’s skill as a lyricist.  Here he captures the fullness of salvation history.  The necessity of this birth is clear with only one driving force – to bring salvation and healing to a broken world.

The allegory of the nativity story draws us into a deep understanding of the focus of this mission.  The outcasts (shepherds), local leaders (Herod) and global leaders (Magi) all are invited into this grace.  Some accept.  Others reject.  This is no soothingly romantic scene.  The gospel writers capture the essential drama of the Garden of Eden: do we say yes to the Light and embrace salvation or do we continue to live in darkness?

We share so much with the young family growing up under Roman occupation and the corruption of that leadership.  Jesus knows our fears and uncertainty as he knows our joys and dreams. The current world drama is the same today as ever it has been.  Will the world embrace the Light, the healing Love that is salvation?  More importantly, are we peaceful enough to affirm our baptismal call and live the fullness of the Love of which we are members? 

For me, Christmas is much more challenging than Easter.  It is difficult to see past the romantic, soft and very comfortable story told again and again.  Easter is filled with triumph. Christmas we get a schmatta.   It is just plain hard to see Love in such a messy scene and yet, here it is.

My prayer for each of you and the world is that the greatest disruption of all time — the unfailing, limitless Light of Divine Love — enfolds you and infiltrate you with peace; to know the “healing in His wings.”  This is our time to say, “Yes” and offer “Amen” to the grace that opens us to the light brings the truth that “God and sinner reconciled”

Merry Christmas!