Sunday, December 24, 2007
Luke 2
Senior
Pastor
Why is
tonight more exciting than tomorrow night?
Why is the
day before Christmas most exciting? Why
is the day before any big event so exciting?
Whether it's these shepherds going to Bethlehem or Mary and Joseph
before the birth of their child or you or me before the birth of our baby or
the day before the wedding or the day before starting first grade or the day
before you leave on a big vacation – Why is the day before always the most
exciting?
Isn't it
because of the anticipation, the expectation that something good is going to
happen, maybe even something great is about to happen? It may or may not turn out as we expected,
but on the day before in our imaginations and in our hopes and dreams it still
promises the possibility of greatness, of great fun or great joy or great
wonder or great love... the possibility is before us!
Robert
Fulghum tells the story of one dreary December when his “to do” list was long
and his temper short and his anticipation of Christmas was not too great at
all. All he wanted was to be left alone
when he was jarred out of his chair by a pounding at his front door. He didn’t
even want to answer it. Yet, he opened
the door to find a rather smallish person, carrying a brown bag and wearing a
cheap Santa mask.
Before he
could say anything, the brown bag is thrust toward him and the mask barks,
"Trick or Treat!"
What? “Trick or Treat!” Santa mask hoots
again. Not knowing what to do I fish a
dollar out of my pocket and drop it in the bag. The mask lifts and it is the Asian kid from down the block. Refugees.
Settled here with his family last year by the Quakers. He stopped by on Halloween with all his
brothers and sisters.
“Wanna hear
some caroling?" he asks through the grin engulfing his face. "Sure," supposing now the rest of
the gang will pop out of the bushes ready to join in. "Where's
the
choir?"
"I'm
it," he says. As he launches into
"Jingle Bells," with full lung power. This was followed by an equally enthusiastic version of what I
swear sounded like "Hark the Hairy Angels Sing." And finally he closes with a soft-voiced
rendition of "Silent Night".
And by the
end, there I stand in the gathering darkness of night, wet-eyed and
dumbstruck. I pull a five-dollar bill
out and drop it in his sack. He hands
me half a candy cane. Flashes the
ten-dollar grin, turns and he runs into the night shouting "God Bless
You!" and "Trick or Treat!”
As I shut
the door I am engulfed in a laughter coming from deep within me and tears; tears pouring down my face as I know
Christmas has once again come to me. Oh
he is confused about the details, but he is very clear about the spirit of the
season. It's a time to let go and
celebrate -- to throw yourself wholeheartedly into the holiday, into these holy
days with all you've got, wherever you are.
What if you
were so totally convinced that the God of the universe was a God of love and
that this divine love was being poured out for you right now? What if you believed that
this God had
a love for you that was so deep and enduring that nothing could separate you
from it? And moreover what if you
believed that your God wanted to guide you and in fact was already guiding you
and had given you a sign of his love and guidance in this baby Jesus?
What if you
imagine with me right now that something good is going to happen, maybe even
something great is about to happen?
What if you were convinced that there was reason to hope and dream and
plan? What if you were totally
convinced that your life was full of the promise and possibility of greatness…
great love, great wonder, great fun, great joy? Oh, let your anticipation of God’s love run wild.
For it can
be so, because tonight there is “good news of great joy for ALL the
people!"
Thanks be to
God! (And all the people said, Amen!)