December 24, 2003: The Feast of the Nativity Readings: Isaiah 9:2-4, 6-7; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20; Psalm 96:1-4, 11-12.   The Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith Something to Ponder We gather tonight to remember the birth of Jesus and to celebrate our faith—the faith of the prophets, the apostles, the martyrs and regular people just like you and me. This holiday can bring to mind many memories. We may think about what was going on in our lives or in the world last Christmas or the Christmas before or the one twenty or forty years ago. The reality is that Christmas comes, ready or not, amid the complicated issues of our lives and of our world. It has always been so—right from the beginning. Jesus was born in a complicated world—a world that can be very good but also very dark. Right from the start, issues of politics and economics were part of his life. Into the daily struggles of life, God came to be with us. For Christians, the prophet Isaiah conveys our deepest longings and our experience of life lived in communion with God in Christ. "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them the light has shined." When you think about it, the primary purpose of light is not to be seen, but to allow things to be seen as they truly are. Throughout Advent, we have been increasing the light. Our wreath grew brighter as we prepared for the great light of God. The lights on houses and trees tell of our joy. In our Christmas celebration, we let things be seen as they truly are. We are not people enslaved to the darkness of the world—but rather we are children of the light. We are people who know something of the freedom and salvation that God wills for all the world. Jesus is the light of the world who allows us to see things as they truly are. Now, it is not always clear just what God is up to. Remember the part about the shepherds? "Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified." We don’t usually spend much time on the terrified shepherds. After all, they came to realize that the angel had good news of great joy. Still, at first, they were terrified. It wasn’t normal for angels to stand before them. But there it was. God touched their lives and they had to take the next step to understand what that moment would mean for them. When they found Mary and Joseph and the baby, they told the people gathered "what had been told them about this child." Some were amazed. Mary, we are told, treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. She pondered them in her heart. While she knew much of the story, she too would learn more about the meaning of this birth. And isn’t the same with us? We can know a lot, or at least think that we know a lot, and still there is so much to ponder. We can ponder why it is that we are here tonight. We can reflect on the meaning of this day. Where will this day lead you? It is to people living in the complexity of modern life that Christ comes. Sometimes spirituality, mistakenly, gets put on a pedestal. The Good News of the incarnation is that God is intimately involved with human life—in all of human life—in everyone of our lives. The community of faith—the church—is called to be a witness to the freedom and hope that Christ gives as pure gift. In these times of war and elevated terror alerts, many are looking for hope and security. For sometime now, the phrase "the Episcopal Church welcomes you" has been found on our signs and advertisements. Recently, the folks who design signs and logos for the church have come up with a new phrase, which is "We’re here for you." We are here for you. We’re here for each other because of the event that we celebrate tonight. Isaiah’s words continue to speak an important truth: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them the light has shined." We celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world. Jesus is the light of the world who allows us to see things as they truly are. We learn from the gift of God’s self to us that the most important gifts that we give each other are the gifts of love, compassion, and understanding. We have come have come out in the dark night to experience the mystery, the wonder, and the power of God’s great love for us. The sacred words are so familiar, and yet, somehow fresh. The angel says: "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord." Imagine that you are there in the dark night, tending to the business of your life. What is the joy that you would desire? What good news would you like to give to all the people of the world? Jesus is born for us—to be the Savior of the world. In a complex world of good and evil, the clear goodness of this night shines bright. Amen.