“Have You Heard the Story?”
“And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10)
Our Advent journey has reached a halfway point, and as Christmas draws near, we find ourselves surrounded by an endless variety Christmas-themed TV shows, books, movies, and even special reports on news programs. If you feel you’ve reached a holiday saturation point, it probably means you have, and may need to watch a ball game or read a mystery.
There is one story I’ve always enjoyed because it includes characters with some pretty rough edges. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” introduces us to the Herdmans, six children who steal, vandalize, pick fights, and scare the dickens out of the rest of the kids in town. When they hear that treats are served at the local Sunday School, they show up, shifty as ever, and end up taking part in the Christmas pageant. Through threats and intimidation, they manage to get the lead roles, and as rehearsals begin, it turns out that this rough little family has never heard the story of Christ’s birth and the events around it.
Well, there are a lot of questions, as they wonder why no one would give Mary and Joseph a room, and only offer them space in a barn? Why didn’t the Wise Men bring useful gifts — what good were gold, frankincense and myrrh to a baby? And why didn’t someone do something about that evil King Herod? Their reaction to the story is to question why something wasn’t being done about the problems. So a less than conventional program is presented, with a confused and disheveled Mary and Joseph, Wise Men who bring the gift of a ham, and an Angel of the Lord in dirty sneakers who yells at the shepherds, “Hey! Unto you a child is born!”
Now we might smile and shake our heads at this comedic version of a Christmas program, but let’s take a closer look. These problematic, outcast children weren’t rejected by this church, they were included, (even if a little apprehensively) and they heard the Good News! And the Holy Spirit went to work, opening their hearts to the message of God’s love for them.
This is what we are called to do, wherever we are in life or in this world. We are privileged to share the good news of great joy for ALL people — not just the smart, the handsome, or the successful, but the lost, the lonely, the sinners, the failures — every last one of us, who need to hear that good news.
The message never gets old, or stale, or trite, whether we hear the beautiful, poetic, “Behold, I bring you good news” or the attention-grabbing, “Hey! Unto you a child is born!”
Listening for the angels,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers