EpiphanyC,
January 3, 2016, Sullivan Park Care Center by Annette Fricke
Imagine
yourself as a person from a foreign country.
You are a seeker for that which lies beyond the immediate lay of the
land which surrounds you. It is your
quest to go beyond the present day circumstances, to follow the lead of what
appears to be the outstanding, most unusual.
You are an astrologer and you make it your habit to study the stars
every night. You have no idea where this
type of obsession will take you. All
your friends and relatives think you are crazy, and can’t possibly understand
why you do this night after night. What
could you possibly discover? The night
sky is the same as always. We look at it
every night, they reason. What is it
that will be any different from any other night? But there are others, a small minority who
believe as you do and suddenly, unlike the other nights, way up in the heavens,
a star appears unlike any others. It is
much brighter and larger. The
illumination is so intense that it is impossible to ignore. The star beckons to you in such a way that
you go to tell your friends who also gaze at the night sky. Are there any Jews around that we can ask
about its possible significance? What does the Jewish scripture say? Are there other writings to which we should
refer? What do the ancient texts say? Whom can we consult? Is this something
that might have been foretold many years ago? What can we do with the
information of the star and with our findings of the prophecies about a star that
might point accurately to the fulfillment of those prophecies? Where can we
turn? Herod turns to the upper hierarchy
of the Jews, the ruling bodies of the chief priests and the scribes. That’s his answer. Then he inquires of the magi as to what they know. Herod believes that the magi know something
that he doesn’t and asks them to investigate for him, then to return to him to
inform him of the answer of his real burning need to know, “Is this indeed the
Christ, the Messiah, the actual king of the Jews who has come to take my place? If that be the case, away with him and any
other young male child who resides in the far reaches of the known world. I’ll not have it. Slaughter them all! How dare there be anyone else to rival my
kingship!” Have you ever thought about how the ideas behind the Grinch who
stole Christmas originated? Certainly the story of Herod’s jealous rage was in
the back of the author’s mind. We do
know the author of the Grinch story was raised as a Christian. Similar to the
Grinch, the narcissistic character of Herod and that of many other power
mongers of kings present and past or their equivalent contemporaries continues
to this day. What do we do with those
who threaten to destroy the whole meaning of Christmas and the significance of
the Christ child? The author and co-author of the Grinch character can see
clearly how adults in their sophistication can get caught up in the wrong
things when it comes to Christmas celebrations which obscure the true meaning
and light of Christmas. The conclusion
is one to be remembered for many years: Christmas can still be celebrated
without all the trees, the special Yule logs, the endless sweets, even the
presents. As with the rest of the
teachings in Christianity, the meaning of Christmas has much more to do with
how we treat each other. The true meaning of Christmas is to treat others,
regardless of their intimacy or lack of intimacy with us and our circles of
friendship, with respect and dignity helping others and supporting others no
matter what their status in the world. The common belief of the woman named
Alison who went from Soap Opera star to working for The Biggest Loser that
Christmas is for children is only partially right. It’s for children all right, but not just for
children, it is for all of humanity. If
I were the host of that late night show where she made that comment, I would
not allow that statement to go unchallenged. As ugly as the Grinch is and as
mean as his spirit, the story continues to be told because that is the type of
story we need to wake us up to his character not as example, but as the
opposite of example. His behavior is the
extreme far end of the spectrum. Most of
us don’t know people who would do the same things as the Grinch, yet the Grinch
will remain the reminder of what might happen if people did forget the true
meaning of Christmas. That is precisely
why that story is so effective. The
spirit of Christmas has a power that even a very mean person cannot destroy.
It’s
a scary world out there. There are
people who don’t read the newspapers, who don’t write or receive letters. English comprehension is dying due to the
constant use of popular slang, almost unintelligible by older generations. Words are left out of sentences and young
people are speaking at an ever increasing rate of speed. They are sometimes disrespected by older
people because of their poor grammar.
Yet, if we dismiss them or think we can live without them, think
again. They have infiltrated our
world. In my world, they are my co-workers
and in yours, they are your caregivers.
They are not all that way, but many are.
It is within our power to work on ways to be patient with them and
gently correct them. They need education
rather than criticism. Respect should be mutual. You can set a good example. Sometimes that means starting from the
beginning. When I told my co-worker that
I needed to write a sermon he said, “What is a sermon?” This same co-worker apologized to a resident
by saying, “My bad.” I know what that
means now, but to hear that for the first time can be confusing. I am guessing that it means, “I am bad” or
“mea culpa” which translates from the Latin for “the fault lies with me.” An apology is certainly welcoming and
encouraging if you know what that is.
Then, of course, when I first saw “mea culpa” in a letter written to me,
I had to look it up.
Close
your eyes and imagine the brightness of that star, the one that stayed to rest
over Bethlehem, where the baby Jesus laid in a food trough, crude and barren,
yet just the right size at the right moment in history. This is what the magi came looking for and
this is where we also ought to look. The
star led them to Jesus, the son of God, the true light of the world who
illuminates our lives and blesses them so that we may be a blessing to
others. It doesn’t matter if we are
among the wealthiest and most powerful of the world or the lowliest of the
lowly. God calls all of us to be a
blessing to those around us. The gospel
of God’s salvation is for all of us because we are all God’s children and God
loves each and every one of us, no matter what.
Take that blessing and run with it.
Dare to spread God’s light everywhere you go. Remember always that God
goes with you each step of the way. We have many tasks ahead of us. We have much to do. As the gospel of Matthew says elsewhere, “Let
your light so shine before others, so that they may see your good works and
give glory to your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16).”
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