Thousand Acre Church

Before recently, I had this “Go Tell It on the Mountain” spirit about the Christmas message.  You know, I thought, “Jesus came to into the world to save us from our sins.” should be ringing from the corners and shouted from rooftops.  This is the first Christmas season that makes sense to me, and I’m not feeling the “Announcement” vibe.

This year I’m picturing a pregnant teenage girl huddled safely in her cousin Elizabeth’s home.  She’s confident in the faithfulness of the God of her people and his promise to send a fair and just King.  She has faith that after millennia of being used and exploited by oppresive regimes and rulers, Israel, God’s people, will see the age of peace and prosperity inaugurated.  This was the hope of all of Israel.  Though some in Israel believed that the coming King would rule through oppressive power on Israel’s behalf, I picture this teenage girl whispering this song about the God of her people:

He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

This song from Luke’s Gospel is dangerous.  This is a celebration of poverty and a threat to those in power.  This carol was for sharing with people you loved enough to risk your life for, but not for singing in the streets.  Words like “scattered the proud”… “brought down the powerful”… “sent the rich away”… make me beg for mercy.  God, can it be true, that you would humble the rich and powerful?  Do you really raise up the lowly and feed the hungry?  If so, which am I, rich or hungry?  I can’t imagine a day without three squares or a night without a furnace.  I grumble about my gas bill, but the water in the shower is still comfortable and soothing.  I worry about the future, but I can’t imagine it will bring a day without enough calories or a night without a shelter.

Before this year, my celebration of Christmas did not resonate with the celebration of the coming King of the universe.  I think our relative wealth and focus on giving gifts prevented me from having “eyes to see” the advent of the King.  Now I sing, “Oh come!  Oh come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel!”" with a new understanding and a load of humility and fear.  God help me understand hunger and poverty.  Help me honor the King with a lowly heart and solidarity with the poor.  Help me “get” Mary’s hope.

photo credit: BitchBuzz