Sermon
LET THE LIGHT SHINE
Christmas
Day 2012
John
1:1-14
Merry
Christmas!!! The light is indeed shining here at St. Paul’s. This has been an
absolutely glorious Christmas weekend, culminating this morning in the baptism
of Charles Atticus Diggins. What a blessed day on which to become fully
initiated by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body the Church!
Tomorrow we
move onto the year 2013, and the many challenges that face us both as a nation
and as a world community.
One of my
favorite parts of the nativity story is that wonderful scene from Luke’s Gospel
in which the angel of the Lord stands before the shepherds as they ready their
sheep for the long, cold night.
“Then the Angel of the Lord stood
before them, and the Glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am
bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a
sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a
manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on
earth peace among those whom he favors!’” (Luke 2:9-14)
Whenever I
hear or read this passage, I imagine the shepherds, tired, cold, dirty, hungry
after days watching over sheep that wander and need continual care, sitting
close to each other as night falls. It is quiet; it is calm; it is peaceful –
everyone ready for sleep –and then, suddenly, something big, bright, fantastic,
and totally unknown bursts out all around them. What an image!
The
shepherds are terrified – who wouldn’t be? But then, probably in a flash – a
nano-second - the angels comfort them and tell them that a savior, their
savior, has been born; and, that as a result of this birth, there will be peace
among those whom he favors.
Once the
angels have departed and the commotion has died down, the shepherds begin
speaking to each other. They are excited, curious; and, they agree,
immediately, to “go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place…” They
rush off, to find the baby - Jesus, the Savior, the Holy One; and, they find
him lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling.
As I
indicated earlier, this is such a powerful story for me. Why? Because it tells
me that in the darkness, in the cold, in discomfort, in suffering, there can be
a light – an amazing light. A light so fantastic that it is, at first,
absolutely terrifying. A light that is at first terrifying; and then, when we
allow ourselves to see and hear that light, it becomes a light that calms; that
guides; that shines in the darkness; that brings a peace that passes all
understanding… it is the light that brings us eternal life as a child of God
and member of his Heavenly Kingdom of saints.
This Advent
season, at first no different than any other Advent season, began as a time of
expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the nativity of Jesus.
It also marked the countdown to Christmas. Christmas carols and plans for
annual family gatherings abounded; and, of course, there was shopping – lots and
lots of shopping. Hopes and eager anticipation for a glorious Christmas day
were high.
Mid-way through
this joyous time, however, we encountered a tragedy that shattered our dreams
of peace and joy, and left many of us lost in darkness – the darkness of
wondering just how to place this latest act of senseless violence in some context
within the realm of the American Dream, democracy, Christianity, Judaism,
Islam, or any of the other world’s religions, all of which hold firm to the
belief that we must love our neighbor as ourselves.
Where was
the light in the unspeakable sadness that tore hearts, dreams, and lives
asunder in less than ten minutes? How were we to move forward to the Christmas
joy that we originally anticipated? Some people wondered, “Should we even
celebrate Christmas?”
In the days
that have followed this Armageddon of innocence; this latest mass shooting,
many voices – some world famous, and some not at all world famous – have cried
out in pain and in anger. We like Habakkuk have cried out, “How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?” (Habakkuk 1:2)
Those very thoughts were indeed the basis for many a
conversation overheard both here at St. Paul’s and elsewhere throughout our
nation and the world. The nation cried out, pleading for gun control, better
mental health services, a decrease in violent movies, TV shows, video games and
rap music.
President Obama and others have promised “change.” Yet,
many wonder, will change occur; or, will we forget this event, just like we
have forgotten so many others?”
On this Christmas Day of 2012, as we struggle with the
complex challenges of our society and the world, where insecurity, darkness and
evil - like it or not – are a reality, no other Gospel reading is more
appropriate than today’s.
Listen to the words of the stunningly beautiful hymn that
John uses to introduce his good news.
“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in
the beginning with God. All things came into being
through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into
being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John
1:1-5)
Henry Gustafson, Professor Emeritus of New Testament Theology at
United Theological Seminary in Minnesota, writes concerning this passage,
“According to our hymn this
creative Word was the source of life. What has come into being in him was
‘life.’ This life meant knowing God, not merely ‘knowing about’ God, but
experiencing God as being altogether significant for one’s life. The knowledge
of God is like light shining in the darkness. The Word is a source of both life
and light. Tragically, however, humankind too often fails to hear the Word, to
receive the life, and to see the light.”
Richard Van Egmond, a Catholic professor of Scripture and
Theology, summarizes John’s opening hymn in saying,
“The Prologue addresses the
contemporary reader in a number of aspects. From the outset, it sets out the
scope of the redemptive plan of God as being closely connected with God’s
creative activity…For all its broad, cosmic scope, the Prologue presents a
direct and personal question to readers of all times: will the one who reads
believe, and share in the fullness of grace given by the One who has come from
the Father to dwell alongside us?”
Should we celebrate Christmas this year, despite the Newtown
massacre and despite the multitude of tragedies occurring world-wide? We most certainly
should.
We should be no less amazed than Luke’s shepherds at the Light
that has been given to us this day; no less prepared to make haste to visit the
newborn and to see with our own eyes the light that shines. And, as the light –
the Word - shines in the darkness all around us, today and every day, no less
eager than Paul to “take up the whole armor of God, so
that we may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything,
to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:13)
Today, we most certainly must celebrate. We cannot afford
not to celebrate. We most certainly must stand firm in our faith; we cannot
afford to not stand firm, and in so doing lift high the cross of Jesus in order
that all may see its Light.
We cannot afford to ignore the Light that shines among us.
If we can see the Light, feel it, live it, be humbled by it and servant to it,
we can accomplish much as we spread the Good News – God’s love and salvation -
right here among us; now; today; and for years to come.
We can fulfill our mission in Christ – to carry the Light
to all nations; to reconcile the world, our world, to God’s Love.
It is the celebration of this Light, the Light that shines so
brightly this Christmas Day, that helps us keep the faith, despite the evidence of
darkness throughout the world. In our celebration of and faith in the Light,
the darkness will not overcome it.
AMEN