Mark 1: 1-8 NRSV
The Christmas and Advent season began when Pope Julius I authorized December 25 to be celebrated as the birthday of Jesus in A.D. 353. Who would have ever thought that it would become what it is today. 2 weeks off from school.
When Professor Charles Follen lit candles on the first Christmas tree in America in 1832, who would have ever thought that the decorations would become as elaborate as they are today? A 2 billion dollar industry.
It is a long time since 1832, longer still from 353 AD, longer still from that dark night brightened by a special star in which Jesus the king was born. Yet, as we approach December 25 again, it gives us yet another opportunity to pause, and in the midst of all the excitement and decorations and commercialization which surround Christmas today, to consider again the event of Christmas and the person whose birth we celebrate.
Yet
some take the Holidays seriously, others just as another opportunity to make
themselves more important than the Holiday itself. In our extra-sensitive to “enforced
tolerance world” it’s as if the truth of Christmas and its meaning becomes
trivialized, sanitized, diluted, and homogenized so that the truth won’t hurt
or bother anyone. Can’t offend anyone, right?
We
have made Christmas little more than a thing of gossip, with little truth of
fact anywhere to be found. That’s how we got here. But we can use the concept
that there is good gossip and bad gossip.
But
all is not lost if you think about gossip for a minute. If you don't say it,
they can't repeat it. If you do it right you want it repeated.
Yiddish
folklore offers a telling tale about gossip-makers. One such man had told so
many malicious untruths about the local rabbi that, overcome by remorse, he
begged the rabbi to forgive him. "And, Rabbi, tell me how I can make
amends."
The
rabbi sighed, "Take two pillows, go to the public square and there cut the
pillows open. Wave them in the air. Then come back."
The
rumormonger quickly went home, got two pillows and a knife, hastened to the
square, cut the pillows open, waved them in the air and hastened back to the
rabbi's chambers. "I did just what you said, Rabbi!"
"Good."
The
rabbi smiled. "Now, to realize how much harm is done by gossip, go back to
the square..." "And?" "And collect all your feathers."
Even
good solid Christians tell things about Christmas that amount to gossip because
we’re lazy or take the easy path:
A
little boy and girl were singing their favorite Christmas carol in church the
Sunday before Christmas. The boy concluded "Silent Night" with the
words, "Sleep in heavenly beans." "No," his sister corrected,
"not beans, peas."
To
use gossip right we must learn the story, keep it simple, and tell it to others
right.
Our
scripture passage from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 1, verses 1-8, starts the
Christmas story out simply. Listen:
The
beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in
the prophet Isaiah, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will
prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the
way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”’
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of
repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean
countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were
baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Now
John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and
he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful
than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of
his sandals. I have baptized you with*
water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’
How
does such a simple and beautiful story get changed to the point where the
reason for the season is no longer apparent or even remotely evident?
The
clear answer is that a large majority of people no longer treat Christmas, the
baby Jesus, or even God as real, but characters and topics for myths, lies, and
gossip told by addled minds.
I
sometimes think more people think JFK was killed by the CIA/Mob then think that
Jesus is the Son of God. Do more people think that Global Warming is more
likely to happen than Jesus’ second coming? I’d hate to see the poll results on
that one.
A
popular play and movie this time of year, one I always enjoy watching is A
Christmas Carol. There is one scene that has always fascinated me. The Ghost of
Christmas Past has just paid a very discomforting visit to Ebenezer Scrooge.
Clearly
the old miser is shaken by the entire ordeal. But when he awakens from his
sleep does he take the message to heart? No, he simply dismisses it by saying:
“Bah,
humbug, it wasn't real. A bit of old potato or just a bit of last nights
undigested beef," he says to himself, "There is more gravy about you
than the grave."
A
vision to be taken to heart or simple indigestion. You tell me.
I
would rank this experience up there with the person who goes to church and
celebrates Christ’s birth and then leaves and acts as if it’s wasn’t real
later.
Don’t
get me wrong – we can celebrate Santa Claus, Rudolph, and all that if we keep
it in the perspective of Jesus’ teachings. Generosity, blessings, and grace are
the hallmarks, or should be, the center of the family celebration.
There
is a Planetarium that has a special Christmas holiday show enhanced by an added
feature. A giant lollipop tree is projected onto the planetarium dome, then surrounded
by a horizon filled with brilliantly colored toys which come to life and dance to
the tune of "Jingle Bells."
At
the climax a huge figure of Santa Claus is faded into a snow storm, and then the
star of Bethlehem breaks through into a sky that represents exactly the sky in
Israel on the night of the nativity.
The
designer of this show dramatically staged the supreme Christmas message our
world needs to understand: The recovery of the lost meaning of Christmas. Jesus
isn’t the beginning of the story – He is the story anchor.
This
is not said in any criticism of Santa Claus; the effect must have delighted the
hearts of all the children who saw it, without doing violence to their love of
Bethlehem.
We
need to see the loss when we substitute "Jingle Bells" for "Hark
the Herald Angels Sing," and insert a lollipop tree for the manger of
Bethlehem.
The
instinct is right to fade out these things in the light of the Christmas star.
It is about God's incarnation that the angels sing--God with us.
We
see it around us this time of year – stores and people try to avoid offending
anybody, and our schools avoid religion altogether and start singing about the
weather.
At
many schools, they now hold a winter program and sing increasingly
non-memorable songs such as "Winter Wonderland," "Frosty the
Snowman" and--this is a real song--"Suzy Snowflake."
A
visitor from another planet would assume that the children belonged to the
Church of Meteorology.
But
it’s all part of how schizophrenic we’ve become so that no one ever dares to
say what Christmas is truly about so as not to offend. Then Christmas truly
becomes like gossip – because it can only be whispered about.
Two
women having lunch in an elegant hotel were approached by a mutual friend who
asked the occasion for the meal. One lady replied, "We are celebrating the
birth of my baby boy." "But where is he?" inquired the friend.
"Oh," said the mother, "you really didn't think I'd bring him,
did you?"
Isn’t
this a picture of the way the world treats Jesus at Christmas? They think they
can celebrate some holiday without the object, the reason, for that holiday.
I’ve
said it before and I’ll say it again. God’s story, Jesus’ story, and our story
are really quite simple.
If
our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator;
If
our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist;
If
our greatest need had been exercise, God would have sent us a trainer;
If
our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist;
If
our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer;
But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior. Amen.
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