We can easily miss what is happening in our midst. Caught up in our daily routine and distracted by the flurry of activity around us, we become too occupied to see the valuable things surrounding us.
The Christmas season seems to amplify this struggle. In the weeks leading up to Christmas Day, we are busy wrapping up year end reports, shopping for family and friends, and attending special events. There are holiday programs and concerts to attend, baking to complete, and a myriad of extra commitments. Throw in some decorating and wrapping of presents and our schedules keep filling up, leaving us to move through each day with at least a hint of a survival mentality.
Most of the festivities are enjoyable and make the season more meaningful, but they also consume time and attention. Children find it more difficult to focus on schoolwork as the break approaches. Couples feel the increased tension in their relationship, as each individual feels increasingly overwhelmed. The hurry of the holidays can easily keep us from slowing down enough to savor the deeper meaning hidden in this treasured time.
I felt this in significant ways this year. Learning the traditions of my new community while trying to fit everything in filled my calendar and to-do list to their capacity. There were days where I was adding tasks faster than I could complete them. While I confess there was a certain satisfaction as I lapped my task goals three or four times a day, there was little time to pause and reflect.
In the brief moments reflection was possible, I found myself contemplating the first Christmas. As I taught and preached my way through the Advent and Christmas story, I continued to envision myself in the story. This time, however, I was not connecting with the major figures of the narrative, but resonating with the average people in Bethlehem. There, among the nameless masses, I found myself going through the activities of life with little time to recognize what was happening nearby.
When we read the familiar Bible stories, we see the attentiveness and awareness of Mary and Joseph, angels and shepherds, and prophets and wisemen, but do we consider the people gathered in Bethlehem for the census? Do we ponder those living in the city now overwhelmed with people, or the people offering services to the multitudes? Consumed with daily details, it was easy to miss the answer to the greatest prophecies arriving quietly in their midst.
The good news in this is that the power of the Savior’s birth was not diminished due to lack of attention. God’s promises were no less fulfilled, and the divine revelation was just as meaningful regardless of who was there to receive it. Jesus came into the world, not just for those who were present at the birth, but for the whole world. The Son of God was given as a gift to all who would receive him, even if they missed the moment of his arrival.
We are busy, often too busy. It is easy to miss what God is doing while we attend to the details of our lives. Still, God is gracious. Yes, we would be blessed if we paused long enough to look more deeply at our lives and the world around us. Nevertheless, God is ready to bless us whenever we are ready to look. There may not be an angelic announcement. There may not be a sign in the sky, but the One born in a manger is always waiting and ready for us. In fact, he loves us enough to pursue us into our busy schedules and invite us to receive him as he receives us.
Jesus is not hidden, waiting for you to show up. No, he is with you, encouraging you to receive him. So, if your life is too busy, as I know mine is, remember it only takes a moment, just one precious moment to stop and see. One small pause, with an open spirit, is enough to receive the Savior into the manger of your heart. In that holy moment, everything changes. Our eyes are opened, and we begin to see everything with the fresh vision of God.
Thanks for your post, Chuck. You made several good points, but one in particular stands out: “The good news in this is that the power of the Savior’s birth was not diminished due to lack of attention.” It’s akin, I think, to Martin Luther’s deeply faith-filled observation: “While I drink my little pint of Wittenburg beer, the gospel runs its course.” When our current bishop spoke to our district just after his assignment to our conference, he gave what seemed to me extraordinary emphasis on how much the gospel depends upon us to fulfill it, and it some sense, and to some degree, it does depend upon us. But there is a growing works righteousness in our culture, and it is infecting our denomination. It’s a trend that lays an undue burden upon us, and it seems related to an episcopal call to stop the withering of our numbers and make our denomination great again. I have a growing sense that we need to relax a bit, enjoy our little pint of beer, and heed your invitation to hear again the real good news of the season.
Thanks Rich! I heartily agree with your assessment of the current church culture. While there is no ignoring the Great Commission, the call is certainly to something more meaningful than mere numbers. Declaring the Gospel and baptizing are primary tasks of the servants of Christ. Bringing people to faith in Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit. Personally, I resonate with the notion that God does not need us for the Gospel to be fulfilled. Rather, we are invited to be coworkers in that work. The responsibility for production is on God, while the call to faithfulness is given to us.
I love Luther’s quote. I cannot abdicate my responsibility to the Gospel, but God is working it out even when we are savoring the beauty and fullness of life.