I love this moment of the year.
I long for the quiet time in which I can reflect upon what I
consider to be the greatest news I can ever hope to hear. The
God I believe created the world including you and me, the God
who longs to be in eternal loving relationship with us, chooses
to come into the world in order to share life with us.
There is a part of me I refer to as my little boy. Each of
you also has a little boy or girl somewhere within you. I believe
this little girl or boy is pure love and innocent in every way.
This little boy or girl loves to play, to share, to belong and
to be loved. All of us have covered up this little child within
us. Some have covered it so completely they have great difficulty
believing it is still within them, still part of who they really
are.
The reality of the responsibilities and difficulties of life
have most often caused protective layers to be built around our
little boys and girls, so that we have difficulty believing we
can fully be with one another. Yet if the truth were to be revealed
this is what almost all of us want.
In these moments when we linger in the manger with the Christ-child
we are tempted to believe it is possible to revive the lost little
girl or boy within us. We are tempted to escape the realities
of adulthood and believe that we can live together in peace and
friendship meeting the needs of each person.
We long for a world free of war, prejudice, disease, poverty
and injustice. We want to believe it is possible but the reality
of adulthood keeps reminding us that a world like this is impossible,
even absurd.
Still, I would invite you to allow yourselves a few moments
where you could believe that you are forgiven and that you are
capable. Allow yourself to believe that you do belong to the
human community and that you are an important and necessary part
of it as are all those around you.
Think of how most of us feel when we look at or hold a healthy
newborn baby. We marvel at the mystery of how the child came
to be. We wish we could be without the awareness of our failures
and needs. We long for the simplicity of knowing that those about
us love us so much they will attempt to meet our every need and
keep us from any harm.
One hundred years ago Peter Pan was created. He experiences
eternal childhood so he will never face the difficulties and
pains of growing into adulthood. He will also not experience
the joy of being married, of being a parent or grandparent nor
will he experience the satisfaction of a career from which a
living is made allowing one to experience many accomplishments.
None of us gets to choose whether or not we will grow old but
all of us have to decide whether or not we will grow up. Linger
awhile with the Christ-child tonight because He will choose to
grow up even though He has the ability to retain the love and
innocence of His little boy, a love He shares with us reminding
us that we can still have this love through Him.
It is amazing how God chooses to come into the world as a vulnerable
little child. I would like to close this evening with a parable
written by theologian Soren Kierkegaard. (Synthesis, December
2004)
Once upon a time there was a very rich king. His power
and preeminence were known throughout the world. Yet
something was missing in his life: A woman to join him as wife
and queen. Without such a partner, the palace was empty and
desolate.
One
day, while riding through the streets of a small village
he saw a beautiful peasant girl. She was so lovely that she
immediately won the king's heart. He desired her more
than anything else in the world.
Every day the king would ride by her house
hoping for a chance to glimpse her in passing. He pondered
how he might win her love. He thought, "I will draw up a royal
decree and require her to be brought before me — then
I shall make her queen of my land."
But as he considered this action, he realized she was a subject,
and would therefore have to obey him. Under those terms, he could
never be certain that he had truly won her love.
Then he said to himself, "I shall call on her in person.
I will dress in my royal robes, wear my priceless crown, my best
rings — bear my silver sword — I will overwhelm
her with my majesty and position and sweep her off her feet
so she will want to become my bride."
But again he realized he would always wonder whether she had
married him for the wealth and power he could bestow on her.
So he had another plan. He decided to shed his royal robes,
dress as a peasant and go to town in a carriage, where he would
be let off secretly. He would enter the village and become one
of the peasants. He would work with them, live with them and
suffer along with their daily toils.
Entering into the very life of the village brought about
the results he desired. He was truly admired by his love, won
her as his wife, and made her queen of the land.
God has entered our world and our lives. God comes to share
all things and to receive our love. We can trust this offer or
we can refuse it. The choice we make will have great bearing
on whether or not we ever get to experience the little girl or
boy that is in each of us. |
