Christmas Remembering

Below you will my December 2008 column for the Montgomery Advertiser.

I’ve heard it was the best looking Christmas tree the county had ever seen. Its branches were adorned with the finest ornaments. The lights were draped in perfect, untangled circles around the branches. The silver tinsel looked beautiful against the deep green of the Fraser Fir. It was the perfect tree and would have complimented those joyous days leading up to the Nativity of our Lord, with one exception. It was not in a living room, or den. In fact, it was not even in a house. It sat on its side by the curb, waiting for a pre-Christmas garbage pick-up.

The story of how it got there is legend. Each time my family begins to argue over the decorations on a tree or one that leans a little too much, we mention this discarded tree, and a hush comes over the room.

The story goes like this. A family made their annual pilgrimage to a local tree farm to cut a fresh tree. It was one of those family traditions that had to be just right. Once the tree was located and cut, they brought it into their home, wrestled with putting it in the tree stand and began decorating it. This is where the drama began. There was a great deal of “discussion” over what to put on or take off the tree. It was during this discussion that the tree fell for the first time. They got the tree back up and finished decorating it. Over the course of the next week it fell another time and was put back up. Each time it fell there was more discussion, debate and groaning. When it fell the third time, the father of this family had had enough. As his family moaned around him, he picked the tree up with Herculean strength, practically kicked the front door open, marched to the street and in one graceful action hoisted the beautiful tree over his head and threw it on the curb. He walked back into the house and the tree was never mentioned again.

The season of Advent, the four weeks before Christmas when Christians prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, can by trying for some. These short winter days are filled with a certain amount of expectation as we anxiously await the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior. But it is in such times of waiting that some of us can lose heart. During the holidays, the mechanics of life can overwhelm us. We look around and see all of the lights, and think about the activities, the parties and the shopping lists. Our televisions are filled with images of how we should enjoy Advent and Christmas. We see shiny, happy people decorating trees that don’t lean, and baking perfect cookies as they hug babies who don’t cry. This season is particularly stressful for many in the wake of the worst financial crisis this world has seen in many years. The decorations, the tree and the gifts may be smaller or non-existent and some may think this means Christmas is ruined this year. They watch others walk swiftly toward Christmas seemingly filled with joy, while they continue to languish in life’s wilderness, feeling as if they keep coming up short, feeling forgotten.

Far from being forgotten, God is here in our midst, moving through the very moments of our waiting. His mighty arm of salvation breaks into this world, as it has throughout the history of God’s people. It crashes down on us in the ordinary and the extraordinary. God guides us through those people and circumstances we expect, and those we least expect. He points our way to Bethlehem, where He waits for us. As we approach the threshold of that lowly stable, we see the Holy family, weathered and yet strengthened by a journey of faith that began with Mary’s simple “yes” – “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” [Luke 1:38]. We stand awestruck in the presence of the Divine. We stare into the light of salvation, amazed that it comes in the most unexpected ways. A hand gently ushers us into the presence, and a voice whispers...“behold, life.”

This Christmas let this life and the life it gives each of us be our vision. Let us enjoy the decorations and the celebrations but remember that they, no matter how perfect, will never provide peace and joy. A line from my son’s Christmas pageant says it best, “Even today, we are still spreading the Good News that Jesus brings peace and joy to all who seek Him.”

Grasshoppers and Giants: A Look at Fear

Text from an article I wrote for the Montgomery Advertiser...

Do you ever feel like a grasshopper? I was reading the newspaper the other day and that is exactly how I felt. I read about a troubled economy, war, transitions in power, people losing jobs and houses, retirees fretting about “cracked” nest eggs and I thought about how much despair there is in the world today. It is uncertainty and desolation that is not limited to those “over there” but attacks our next door neighbor and our families. There seems to be a certain hopelessness that has crept into our collective psyche with the continual stream of anxious news. We look around and think we have hit the bottom and then realize that it just got worse.
It is easy to feel like an insect in such a world. We live in a world of giants. They are all around us. It seems that everywhere we look we see things, people and forces in this world that are monumental when compared with our lives. They stomp around, shaking the ground beneath our feet, and we scramble in the tumult, feeling that at any moment we will get squashed. Many of these giants seem utterly out of control.

The days in which we live seem as if the giants are taking over, blocking out the sun that allows us to see, filling us with fear and causing us to seek cover. But, are these giants really so new to the people of God? What about the giants faced by God’s people throughout time? Okay, there was no stock market crash when Joshua scoped out the land of Canaan, but there were imposing giants of the living, breathing kind.

Moses sent Joshua and 11 others to investigate the land God had promised the people of Israel (Numbers 13). The community had been through centuries of pain and turmoil. These descendants of Abraham left their land due to famine and landed in Egypt. Things were good for a time and then took a dramatic turn for the worse. They were slaves and their cries in the middle of such bondage went up to God and God heard them. He raised Moses to liberate the people from tyranny. They moved out across the wilderness to the land God promised. They faced many giants along the way to this blessing of new land and life, but they persevered (not, at times, without some complaining). Now, on the edge of this promised land, they were paralyzed with fear.

When the 12 came back to report what they found, they said that the land did indeed flow “with milk and honey” (Num 13:27), but there were several big problems. The land was heavily fortified and it was filled with giants. Yes, literal giants. These people were so strong and large that those sent “seemed like grasshoppers” in their presence. (Num 13:33). The majority of the spies were paralyzed with fear. They wanted to turn their backs on the blessing that was waiting for them.
There were two who saw things in another way. Joshua and Caleb remembered God’s presence and promise. They recalled the deliverance of God in their history and his continued providence. They said, “Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they are no more than bread for us; their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” (Num 13:9).

The people of Israel had a choice. They could choose to give in to fear and allow it to block the blessing and fruitful life to which God called them, or move forward with the confidence that God would provide. They ultimately chose the latter. Of course it was not all smooth sailing from that point forward. The Israelites faced challenges, pain and even death but the people of Israel moved forward knowing God had already claimed their present and future, regardless of the circumstances.

The same choice faces each of us. When we are inclined to choose fear, to hoard or block the blessings with which God fills our lives, let us remember the promise of God. This promise is in God’s very name-Immanuel, which means “God with us.” When we are tempted to give in or give up, when we want to pull back and put our confidence in things of the world, let’s remember Joshua and the command found hundreds of times in Holy Scripture - “Fear not!” “Be not afraid!” With God we are giants in a world of grasshoppers.

Resident Aliens...

Election cycles are always interesting-sometimes disgusting, often inspiring, but always interesting. One topic that has raged on Capitol Hill and will continue to get attention is immigration. I got a number of e-mails attempting to use immigrants (illegal and other) as a scapegoat for many of the country's ills and xenophobia as a reason to vote for one person over another. Of course, this simply fuels the fire of division. I read an editorial in the "Christian Century" magazine on the subject of immigration a few years back. I liked it so much I saved it. As this topic rages on Capitol Hill and throughout this country it is interesting to read an approach to the subject that uses Christian Salvation History as the entry point to the debate. I certainly do not advocate an open border immigration policy. I do, however, feel we need to re-evaluate what we are currently doing and our views toward those who live and work in this country who are not citizens. We need a responsible policy. We need to give serious thought to approaching to issue in new ways. Below you will find the closing paragraph - read it through the lens of faith and it may open your eyes to a new vision of this controversial topic - I know it did mine.

"Jews and Christians share this scripture: "You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt" (Exod. 22:21). Scripture says that God's people are to regard sojourners not with fear, indifference or loathing, but with love and respect. Movements to criminalize millions of individuals, break up families and destabilize industries is bad enough. The notion that the alien among us is anything other than beloved elicits some of scripture's strongest condemnations: "Cursed be anyone who deprives the alien, the orphan, and the widow of justice.' All the people shall say, 'Amen!'" (Deut. 27:19).

The Beginning

I have decided to take another dip in the blogging pool. I tried this once before and whether it was laziness or business, I did not keep it up. I certainly don't fool myself into thinking that folks really care much about my natterings, but it is a good exercise.