The Nativity of Our Lord
text: John 1:1-14
Sisters and brothers in Christ, grace to you and peace, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Have you heard the news? There’s a new neighbor in town!
He lives on Chicago Avenue--right here in our neighborhood! He loves the Midtown Global Market and hangs out there. He owns a condo in St. Paul, too, down by the river. He likes to watch the people walk and bike on the trails over there. He says it brings him joy.
He travels a lot. All over the world. To Kenya, Brazil, and Cambodia...Syria and India...to Panama, Ethiopia, Australia, Thailand, and Germany...to Scotland, Tanzania, and Norway...and to every place under the sun. He’ll stay wherever there is a place for him: in apartments and cars, mobile homes, shacks, and villages. He likes to stay with friends and people he meets along the way, but he’ll take up a dwelling anywhere because he loves all places around the globe. He loves to sleep outside in a hammock, looking up at the stars. When he falls asleep admiring the constellations, he dreams about all the places of the world that he loves so much.
Have you heard the news? There’s a new neighbor in town!
She’s quite the cook. She’s mastered the art of all types of cuisine! Probably from all the traveling she does. Samosas, kung pao chicken, falafel and hummus, even lutefisk! She makes the best bread, too. Crusty, hot from the oven, sourdough...the kind of bread you want to dunk in a bowl of hearty tomato soup. She prepares each meal just for you, how you like it, with the right amount of salt and pepper, spice, and flavor. But sometimes, when she feels like it, she pushes you to try something new, to take a risk, to be more adventurous. I’m grateful to her for that. Sometimes I can get stuck in my ways.
She has the best dinner parties. She invites everyone, those she knows and those she’s just met, even strangers. All are welcome at her table--the powerful, the ordinary, and those down on their luck. If you haven’t been to one of her dinner parties, you need to go. Her meals are not to be missed! She has the longest dining room table I’ve ever seen, with these long wooden benches. There’s never a need to fuss about fitting extra chairs around the table! She’ll just say, “Scootch over! We need to make more room!” And there is always room for more.
Have you heard the news? There’s a new neighbor in town!
Everyone has a story about him. My friend told me that he shoveled her sidewalk a few times, after she’d sprained her ankle and was having trouble getting around. He’s very generous, willing to lend a hand when you need it. I saw him help a blind man across a busy intersection one time. Then the two of them got to chatting and ended up sitting in the park for hours, like old friends. He knew all about this man, even before he told him. He’s just like that...it’s easy for him to connect with others. He’s become close friends with his Muslim neighbors who live next door and he’s learned spanish so he can talk with the Latino family while they all wait for their kids to get on the bus. He’ll smile and wave to you when he sees you taking the garbage out. He’s so friendly! And his love for people is contagious!
I’ve seen the neighborhood change since he moved in. People are nicer. They look out for each other. They treat one another with respect and care. He’s a good example for all of us. I’m glad he moved here.
Have you heard the news? There’s a new neighbor in town!
She shows up when you need it most. At your doctor’s office. On the bus. During an intense work meeting. As you sit with your dying mother. While you wait for your friend to call. When you’re being bullied. When your money has run out and your paycheck doesn’t come for another week.
She’s there when hope is lost, when despair engulfs you, when your experience leaves you feeling like nothing will ever be the same. There she is, with tissues, a frozen casserole, and her arms open, ready to embrace you, to hold you, to comfort you, to listen. She’s not afraid of the dark. She’ll stay there with you as long as you need--and then she will return again before you know you need her.
Have you heard the news? There’s a new neighbor in town!
He always has his porch light on and is ready to welcome you. His house smells like my grandparents’ house -- it’s hard to describe, yet recognizable, like home. I sometimes go to see him after a long day. He doesn’t say that much, but he listens, and it’s nice to know he’s there and will let me unload. Before I leave, he’ll pat me on the back, and say, “I’m here for you, Anna.” It helps.
Lots of my friends and family go to visit him, too. They share their joys and frustrations about work and life, missed opportunities for forgiveness, moments of despair. The real life stuff that we sometimes wish we could do without. He understands. He’s been hurt by the world, too. He knows what it feels like to experience loss and pain, more than any of us. So he invites the tears and the anger. He welcomes the confused, the broken, and the questioning.
Somehow he is able to carry it all--the anxiety, the shame, the grief, the loss. You never have to worry about what you say to him, or like you have to pretend to be stronger than you are, because he can take it. All of it. The darkness isn’t dark to him. Whenever you leave it’s like a weight has been lifted. There is hope again. The light shines, even if it’s only a glimmer.
Have you heard the news? There’s a new neighbor in town!
She challenges the powerful and the privileged. She stands up for people on the fringes--the ones who linger in hopelessness, who are abandoned by others. She protests when people are discounted by the powerful. She works to change a culture that allows human beings to be bought and sold. She pushes to see that others are fed, clothed, housed. Her voice can’t be silenced--but lots of people try. She often gets in trouble. She’s ended up in jail a few times, but she always finds her way out.
Have you heard the news? There’s a new neighbor in town!
Today is the housewarming party. Someone made a sign: “Welcome to the world!” it says. You’re all invited to the party and there is no need to RSVP. I’ve heard there will be singing and dancing. Probably another delicious meal, too. Bring a friend if you want, but don’t worry if you come alone. You’ll fit right in: we’re all family here.
Have you heard the news? There’s a new neighbor in town!
His mother gave birth to him under some amazing circumstances--no fetal monitors or doctor or midwife. Sheep, cows, a donkey, and a bed in a feeding trough. Starlight. He was quite the baby. As she held him in her arms, his mother looked at him, smiled, and treasured this moment in time. “Nothing will ever be the same,” she said.
Have you heard the news? There’s a new neighbor in town!
The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Welcome, Lord Jesus.
Amen.
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