Noel: Our Past, Present, and Future (Part 1)

Noel: Our Past, Present, and Future

Christmas (Noel) is not a story, but a history. His. Story. The account of God humbling Himself to the weakest human form imaginable in order to captivate our hearts . . . this is our Christmas past, present, and future. There's a reason we still sing Christmas carols about wise men and shepherds coming to see Jesus, angels in chorus in the heavens, and a star that somehow lights the way towards a newborn child. The old carols can seem stale, unnatural, old-fashioned at times, but think about it.

It's more than just recalling what happened long ago with awe and gratitude, though that is a big part of Christmas. We are the wise men and shepherds. We are Mary and Joseph. Not literally, obviously. But we might as well have been. God didn't need to choose anyone special to witness His birth. So guess what? He didn't! Rejoice, for God favors the "least of these" in his life-giving Kingdom plans!

We three Kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain
Moor and mountain
Following yonder star

We still bring our gifts to Christ. Instead of laying them at a manger we get to lay them at the feet of a risen King. We are just as blessed as the wise men were in seeing Christ as a baby. We simply get to witness Him in a different way, present within us eternally. Profound is every small talent, gift, and even burden we surrender to our King. He does not let any of our tears go to waste. Joy to the world!  This child that spurred jealousy from earthly kings, such intense jealousy that Herod ordered all baby boys in the area to be killed . . . He lived and died and rose and offered to adopt us for an eternity. Us: billions of orphans wandering a hell-bent world of nails and wood.

The First Noel, the Angels did say

Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay

In fields where they lay keeping their sheep

On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

Born is the King of Israel!

Shepherds, students, teachers, fast food workers. Minding our own business, tending to daily needs  . . . and surprised by Christmas, heralded from a chorus on high! He does not choose to surprise the proud, the people who do not acknowledge their own helplessness. For even the most blatant of miracles would be swept away by such people, considered delusion for the sake of keeping their own god, that is, themselves. No, God chooses the searching, the adventurers, the wonderers and wanderers of this world because they alone can grasp with fumbling faith that true glory cannot come from man alone.

And Christ continues to surprise us. In daily blessings, in the stories of miraculous encounters, in the times of quiet and when we begin to move from stagnant religious talk into living an abundant, joyfully grateful life. Shepherds and magi. Humble and educated and all of it--all of us--welcome to accept a gift and a promise of greater things to come.