Reflection
Today we celebrate the birth of a baby born in a stable some 2000 years ago. We can imagine what it was like because every day before and since then, babies have been born. Not all in stables – some in state of the art hospital suites, some in bomb sites, some in birthing pools, some in favelas – but each uniquely special.
Babies with their vulnerability and miraculously complete appearance, evoke such emotions from us – whether we are the parents or not. Emotions of love, joy, wonder – even of adoration. I am not surprised that the shepherds were filled with awe and wonder when they saw the baby Jesus lying in the manger. And how much more their awe and wonder if they were able to fully take on board that this baby was to be the one who was to save the world, to bring into the world the means for healing and restoring all that gone wrong. Or if their were able to get their minds around the fact that this baby was God incarnate – God becoming as human as you or me. But I am guessing that Jesus looked no more different – and no less amazing – than any other new born baby. It is the ongoing miracle of God that new life continues to be born each and every day.
Everyday like the shepherds, we are called to witness to the miracle of life and to praise God.
Jesus, even though he was born in a stable – which was probably not such an uncommon occurrence – was welcomed and protected by Mary and Joseph. He was born into a family that would nurture and safeguard him, that would enfold him in love – just as they had wrapped him in swaddling clothes. In Luke’s gospel we see Jesus growing up in that family, brought up with the faith of his parents including being taken to the temple Jerusalem, and that even in adulthood Mary and Joseph continue to be concerned for his welfare.
For many people Christmas is a celebration of family. Families – as Jesus himself comments – include both blood relatives and others who happen to take on family roles. Being in a family is an important part of what it is to be a human. They are places of unconditional belonging. They are places of love. Families are not separate entities but all interconnected and intertwined. This is what we are celebrating at Christmas. We are all one family in God. Through the birth of Jesus we know God as father and mother of us all.
The Green Tau 