2008 Christmas Homily

Homily for Christmas Concerts December 13-14, 2008
Shepherds in the night, shepherds in the night, shepherds in the night saw a glorious sight.
Shepherds in the night, shepherds in the night, shepherds in the night saw a glorious sight.
Many of the great scenes of the Gospel story take place at night…
We’re told in the Gospel of Luke (as the choir has just reminded us):
“that shepherds watched their flocks by night…”
“a child is born at night.”
“the baby Jesus has his first meal at his mother’s breast at night”
The Gospel begins at night… in darkness…
Shepherds in the night, shepherds in the night, shepherds in the night saw a glorious sight. When they saw a light.
The Gospel begins in darkness… but then enters light…
The Gospel writer Luke tells us…
And an Angel of the Lord appeared and the glory of the Lord shone around them…
Darkness, light.
Our lives are lives are also a mix of darkness and light…
One of my favorite documents is called 7 Up. It’s not about the fizzy pop drink.
The premise of the movie is from a quote by the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier… “Give me a child until he is 7 and I will give you the man.”
(Some of you parents may have children who are 7—I see you are a little worried.)
7 Up features 14 British children whom we meet at age of 7 and who are from different social classes and backgrounds.
As 7 years olds they are asked what do you want in life? Where do you think you’ll go to school? Do you have a girl friend or boy friend? What do you think of rich people, poor people?
Then every 7 years when they are 14 years old, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, the TV crew revisits these kids, now turned adults, and we see where they are now (and compare that to where they said they’d hoped as we flash back to earlier interviews).
The purpose of the film originally was to demonstrate (at least in England) that when you are 7 years old your path is pretty much set for life, based on your personality and character, but also on your social position.
But the film ends up offering a window into the nature of life itself, and how things can change… suddenly without warning.
Sometimes things go according to plan—sometimes things go very differently than we envision…
John Lennon once sang: "Life is what happens, when you're planning other things..."
Charles who was at an elite private school at age 7 singing Latin… said then, “I may go to Oxford.” At 21 says, “It was good I didn’t get admitted to Oxford—looking back that probably for the best. Oxford turns the same cookie cutter students.”
Tony, a working class boy from London’s East End, wants to be a jockey and has a singular day at the big races, but finishes last, and ends up a taxi driver.
Some liked Suzy and John are transformed and healed by marriage, others experience heart break, a divorce…
Neil a person who is raised in middle class home--but ends homeless at 28 ends up and at 42 is city councilor.
Nobody really knows what lies ahead…
Sometimes there is light… sometimes there is darkness…
So it is with our lives.
Do you remember being 7 years old and the dreams that you had in grade 2?
When I was 7 years old, our family was living in England, as well. I read a kid’s version of David Livingstone’s biography—the explorer and medical missionary to Africa. I think, “When I grow up, I think I would like to be a medical missionary to Africa like David Livingstone… to work hard in the field, and have someone one day come up to me, tap me on the shoulder and say, ‘Dr. Shigematsu, I presume?’"
But, then when we moved to Canada when I was nearly 8--probably like many of you guys here, who grew up in Canada, I dreamed of being a hockey player… (watching Bobby Orr and Guy Lalfeur inspired me).
Sometimes life goes according to our plans… sometimes it doesn’t…
Sometimes we end up in our dream job and sometimes we end up out of a job.
Sometimes we are in a relationship that makes us feel like we were destined to be with that other person and at others times we wonder what did I so bad in a past life that I’m stuck with this lazy partner of mine? Or why am I alone? Why did I outlive my child?
Sometimes there is light and sometimes darkness…
Some times dreams come to pass and sometimes they don’t…
We’re living in interesting times…
Our government teeters in chaos.
Mumbai has experienced its own 911.
The worst financial crisis since the great depression looms before us.
What the Gospel tells us, what Christmas tells us is that if our lives are joined with Christ’s--the light will ultimately overcome the darkness…
The words of the angel spoken to the shepherds continue to speak to us:
10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
What the Christmas tells us is that despite the seismic shifts of our life—sometimes sometimes joyful, sometimes painful—ultimately our lives be marked by good…
Frederick Buechner, the Vermont pastor and writer, has described the Gospel a comedy….
…not in the sense that we understand the term today;
…but in the exact literary sense of the word;
Shakespeare’s plays plays are tragedies, which end in death or comedies, which end in love and marriage…and happiness…
The Gospel has tragic moments, real pain….
But, the Gospel is a comedy, in the literary sense of that word, in that it shows us that in the end, if our lives are joined with Christ’s…there is new life… reason to laugh and celebrate and joy and hope.
In Christ, the light of God has come and light has overcome the darkness.
As a child, you go to bed in darkness, but in the middle of the night, something wakes you up, it wasn't the noise,
It was the silence.
The silence of snow falling.
You look out your window, and the sodden gray yard… all that is gone.
Everything is covered in white. And even the night sky is no longer dark… it's a bright lavender… bright enough to read by.
The prophet Isaiah said, the people
[b] 2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
Jesus said,
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life…."
If you receive Christ, you can have the light of life within that can never be extinguished…