Christmas 2018 A Child is Born

Christmas S.H. 2018/ “A Child is Born”

We all have our favorite Christmas singers.  Perhaps one of the people who gained more fame from Christmas songs than anyone else was Bing Crosby.  We think of “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.”  But he sang numerous songs throughout his life in movies as well as Christmas specials. 

One of his lesser known songs which really tugs at our soul is the song, “A Child is Born” which begins.

                        “A ray of hope flickers in the sky

                         A shiny star lights up way up high

                        All across the land dawns a brand-new morn

                        This comes to pass when a child is born.

His song goes on:

                        A rose flume settles all around

                        You’ve got to feel you’re on solid ground

                        For a spell or two no-one seems forlorn

                        This comes to pass for a child is born.

            The song speaks to a human experience that touches us at the deepest level.  We search for good news in our life.  Many times, it seems like there is little to find.

            We hear of chaos in government.   We are aware that the church is in turmoil.  At a personal level we may be dealing friends who are dying.  Perhaps we await a diagnosis from serious medical tests.  We could face economic uncertainty.  Maybe divorce has touched our lives.  The list of this world’s ills stretches on and on.

            We pray that we will have hope.  Perhaps we seek ways to distract ourselves.  Maybe we do that with a stiff drink.  We might go on a vacation to a warm place.  Perhaps we go to one of the casinos to blow a few dollars.  Or, we head off to the strip mall to buy something.  Then again, we turn to our smart phone to escape, watching a You Tube video for a few minutes.  Maybe this makes a little happier.  And then again it might not. When the distraction is over the problems remain.

            What is one thing that does bring a moment of happiness to everyone even the most cynical people.  The sad, the broken, the pessimistic usually have their spirit uplifted for a while when they hear that a child is born.

            Christmas seems to be the most popular of all religious holidays. Why is that so?  Because only the Grinch or Scrooge would not feel like celebrating when a child is born. The birth of a child represents something called mystery. A new being has come into the world. 

            When ever any of us holds a newborn baby, we look at the face of mystery.  What are questions do we ask?  The first is who will this child be.  A baby is usually all potential. Will they be a person who changes the world, or will they be a person that just lives in the world.  We look at a baby not only asking who they will be, but what kind of person they will be?  Will they maintain their innocence, or will they fall into spiritual mediocrity?  Finally, we ask the most important question of all.  What will my relationship be with this person?  For us that is the most profound question.

            A theologian once said that what we commemorate at Christmas is the three births of Christ.  The first birth took place outside the confines of history.  Jesus proceeded from the Father.  Jesus always has dwelt in the mystery of the Trinity.  The second birth took place in history.  He came as a helpless child.  A child that had to be taken care of, fed, diapered, coddled, protected.  Finally, Jesus comes to us as grace.  Jesus can be born in our lives.  The question is, “What kind of relationship do I want to have with him.”  He comes to us from the supernatural world.  Do we want him in our lives?  What does he offer us?  Perhaps the song we started with answers the question of why the Feast of the Incarnation is so important for each one of us:

            And all of this happened

            Because the world is waiting

            Waiting for one child 

            Black, white, yellow, no one knows

            But a child that will grow up and turn tears to laughter

            Hate to love, war to peace

            And everyone to everyone’s neighbor

            Misery and suffering would be forgotten forever

            It must come true, sometimes soon somehow

            All across the land dawns a brand-new morn.

            This comes to pass when a child is born.

            A child is born to us.  Salvation has come to us. Salvation has come to us because a child was born.     

Please note: rough draft, grammar may not be perfect.