The Work of Christmas

Luke 2: 22-40

Poor Mary!  She just gave birth to this tiny little baby Jesus in Bethlehem, far away from her home in Nazareth, then a mere 8 days later she takes him to Jerusalem for his circumcision.  Then again, a month later she and Joseph had to be in Jerusalem for her purification.  There was no air conditioned SUV to make her travels over the rocky terrain easier, just a donkey or her own two feet.

But blessed Mary perseveres and what blessings she finds at the temple.  Two elders, Simeon and Anna who are overjoyed at seeing and touching the Messiah.  Simeon sees Jesus and takes him from Mary, maybe he lifts Jesus high into the air and then praises God.  Now Simeon can face the end of his life in peace because he has seen and held the comfort of Israel. 

And Anna.  After becoming a widow she never left the temple but stayed there and prayed and fasted.  But when she saw Jesus, that tiny infant Messiah she went out to tell everyone what she had seen and witnessed.  In other words she went out and evangelized.

Both Simeon and Anna were so moved, so overjoyed, so completely convinced that they had been in the presence of the one who saves them that they are moved to action.  Simeon, of course, believes that his life is complete, his final wish had been granted, and Anna begins to tell the good news.  Although they had no clue probably of the “Christmas” events of the month before, for them the work had begun.

Christmas Work

“Doing” Christmas is so much work, so much effort, you wonder how we ever make it to that day without lapsing into mental fatigue or delirium or a debilitating exhaustion.  Maybe you do.  We labor so arduously to be sure that the twinkling, starry magic is there at least for one night: the lights properly placed; the goodies lovingly baked; enough presents under the tree that will bring joy and delight to everyone on your list.  Now that’s work!

And then, of course the plans: who is coming for dinner; who’s going to church and what time is the service; what time will we open presents?  Work, work, work!  Christmas is work! 

The Christmas Message

Yet there is a message – we all know that.  This birth of Jesus is the light amidst the darkness of our nights because Jesus is born, the prince of peace, the organizer of justice, the healer of all infirmities, the one who bestows the ultimate dusting of compassion on each and every person who asks for it.  Pretty remarkable for a little baby, born in a stable, in the sleepy backwater town of Bethlehem. 

Oh that we were so moved by Jesus’ birth like Simeon and Anna.  It’s doubtful that any of us, on December 26 were ready to give up the ghost or to go out to Stop and Shop, without a grocery list just to tell people that Jesus had been born.

The Work of Christmas According to Howard Thurman

I’m afraid for Christians, the effort to ‘do’ Christmas Day pales in comparison to the real work of Christmas.  Because when you wake up the next day or maybe even the day after and you wade through the fallen tinsel, the balled up wrapping paper thrown under the sofa, and the zip-locked bagged leftovers in the refrigerator then the work of Christmas really begins.  That’s what we’re about.  The work of Christmas. 

The Work of Christmas According to Howard Thurman

I’m afraid for Christians, the effort to ‘do’ Christmas Day pales in comparison to the real work of Christmas.  Because when you wake up the next day or maybe even the day after and you wade through the fallen tinsel, the balled up wrapping paper thrown under the sofa, and the zip-locked bagged leftovers in the refrigerator then the work of Christmas really begins.  That’s what we’re about.  The work of Christmas. 

Author, philosopher, theologian and civil rights activist and leader Howard Thurman once said, “When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among brothers, to make music in the heart.” 

Thurman understood that to believe in Christmas and it’s message of hope for a topsy turvy world was not only to celebrate the day of Christ’s birth but, and more importantly to relive that birth with each and every day by engendering peace through compassionate living and justice.

Understanding the Christmas message is the beginning of understanding the heart of the Gospel.  Christ had come into a crazy world even then.  He was born into a world in which people were hungry, people were being taken captive into the bowels of the Roman Empire, and there were insufficient water and medical resources.  Mortality rates were high for children under the age of five.   People needed and yearned for help as do people today.  The heart of the Gospel is compassionate living and compassionate doing.  This is what Simeon and Anna understood so immediately.

Wooster Square Wanderings

Walking around Wooster Square where I used to live in downtown New Haven, opportunities arise daily to minister.  Panhandlers exist, yes.  But so do people who are down and out on their luck. 

Now you have to be careful, I knew the crime statistics for New Haven.   But I was in the Square walking Milo (my dog) and a man passed me.  He was a resident of one of the nearby shelters and was cutting through the park.  He had just gotten off of work and he was so happy!  Our eyes met and we started talking.  “Great day, isn’t it?”  he said.  “Sure is”, I said.  That opened him up; I hardly had to say anything else.   

He was happy that he had a job, even though it didn’t pay much.  He was overjoyed that he had just finished his work week and could relax.  He was extremely happy that he might be able to see his son soon, a son whom he hadn’t seen in quite a while.  He even showed me his picture all the while giving thanks to God for his good fortunes.  He acknowledged his mistakes in his past but just knew that he was on the right track once again. 

This man asked for nothing except my ears to listen to him tell his story and to witness of God’s great work in his life.  I didn’t do anything but listen and ask questions.  We walked away from one another and I knew that I had been ministered to.  That is the work of Christmas!  This man ‘made music in his heart’, as Thurman would say.  He was a modern day Anna.

It’s no mistake that Christ was born into a topsy-turvey world, it was a well intentioned act on God’s part because humanity needed to be shown another way to live and negotiate the world.  It’s no mistake that this message of hope has survived for some 2,000 years and is still efficacious because we need it now move than ever.

Come Alive

Dr. Thurman also said, “Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that.  Because what the world needs are people who have come alive."

If you love to cook then volunteer at a soup kitchen or invite your cratchedy old neighbor over for a bowl of soup.  If you are great at swinging a hammer then find a Habitat house to work on or help your 90 year old aunt to fix her shutters.  If you play the flute, then next Christmas Eve walk around the corridors of Norwalk Hospital and play carols to people who are ill (I’ll excuse you from church for that!)  If you like to listen then stop on the street when approached by a stranger.  You might just hear the gospel told once again in yet another voice..  The list is endless.  

This is how the real work of Christmas gets accomplished.  It is carried out by people who have come alive with hope and have allowed the spirit of God to permeate their living. 

I love Christmas and all the work that is involved in making it a joyous occasion.  But, I for one can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and begin the real work of Christmas.  That my friends, is what we are about.  Care to join me?

Amen.