In recent years there has been a lively controversy about the secularization of Christmas. For the sake of being politically correct, many people speak of winter holidays instead of Christmas. In some circles, saying, “Merry Christmas” has become forbidden speech. Whether one regards this debate as being silly or serious, it does raise an important question: what do we celebrate on December 25th?
We tend to romanticize the story of Christmas, focusing on a baby born in a stable 2000 years ago, greeted by shepherds and angels. Consequently, we could overlook what God had in mind that night. I believe the real message of Christmas is summed up in what happened not in Bethlehem, but in Nazareth, when the angel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary the first time. To paraphrase his message, he told her, “You shall bear a son and name him Jesus and he shall be nicknamed Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us.’”
In other words, the message of Christmas is that God deeply desires to be with us. To appreciate God’s passion for us, I would like to share a true story I read years ago of what happened one Christmas Day to a family as they traveled from San Francisco back home to Los Angeles. Along the way, they stopped for lunch at a restaurant that was nearly deserted. They were the only family in the place, definitely, the only family with any children.
While they sat, waiting for their meal to be served, the one-year-old son, Erik, squealed with glee, “Hi there,” pounding his fat baby hands on the high metal chair. His face was alive with excitement. His grin showed his bare gums. As he giggled, his mother noticed the source of his merriment.
Across the restaurant, near the check out counter, there sat an old man in a tattered, dirty, greasy rag of a coat, with baggy pants, a worn shirt and threadbare shoes, and a face like none other with gums as bare as Erik’s. “Hi there, baby. Hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster.” He said. Erik’s parents looked at each other, wondering, “What shall we do now?”
Erik continued to laugh and answer “Hi there,” to every line the old man said to him. The guy was obviously drunk and disturbing. Erik’s parents were embarrassed. Even their six-year old son asked, “Why is that old man talking so loud?”
As they were leaving the restaurant after paying the bill, the mother prayed, “Lord, just let me get out of here before that bum speaks to me or Erik.” Apparently the Lord and Erik had other plans. As she drew close to the old man, the mother tried to sidestep him. As she did so, Erik leaned over, reaching out with both arms in a baby’s pick me up position. As she tried to balance Erik, the mother came eye to eye with the old man.
His eyes sent the message, “Would you let me hold your baby?” Before she could say anything, Erik propelled himself from her arms to the old man. Suddenly a very old man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship.
Erik laid his tiny head on the old man’s ragged shoulder. Meantime, the old man closed his eyes. As she watched, the mother could see the old man’s tears. His aged hands, full of grime, gently cradled the baby and stroked his back. After cradling Erik in his arms for a moment, he then pried the child from his chest, unwillingly and longingly as though he was in pain. Handing Erik back to his mother, he said, “God bless you, Ma’am. You’ve given me my Christmas gift.”
Leaving the restaurant, the mother found herself crying and holding tightly onto Erik. And saying to herself as she walked toward the car, “My God, forgive me. Forgive me.”
Simply put, in this story, the bum represents us and Erik is God yearning for us ragged bums with our tattered lives, our tattered hurts, our tattered relationships, and our tattered sins. Like Erik, God is determined to hug the least likely among us. Through thick and thin, as the expression goes, God wants to be with us. Are we yearning for God as much as the bum did for Erik?
If God is not with us and if God has not embraced our tattered lives, then we are lost. There is no hope and there is no light, only darkness and despair. If we won’t allow God to hug us, then we are here out of fruitless hope, pressured routine or empty sentimentality. But if we are here because of love, God’s unconditional love, then we have caught the meaning of Christmas. Emmanuel, God with us.
What we celebrate on December 25 is the reality that God is with us, not just today, but every day of our lives. For us to realize that, we must do what we can to bring the light of Christ to others in our midst doing our share to dispel the darkness of sin with love, compassion, mercy and a willingness to forgive. God’s presence and love will be experienced when we endeavor to follow Paul’s advice to Titus: reject godless ways and worldly desires, striving instead to live justly, temperately, and devoutly.
What we celebrate, my friends, is the opportunity to know God personally and intimately. May you have a beautiful Christmas, blessed with joy and love beyond your expectations as you celebrate God’s present to you of his presence in your life.