Entrances

The title of the ancient hymn, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, in a way does not seem realistic, especially around this time of year.  How are we to keep silent in this the busiest time of year?  We have presents to buy; decorations to hang; parties to go to; endless preparations for Christmas.  And what about “Joy to the World”, or “O Come All Ye Faithful”?  These aren’t exactly silent expressions.

Yet that is exactly what that opening line of this hymn from the liturgy of St. James of the 4th century demands…silence.  Of course “Joy to the World” and all those other beloved hymns and carols have a place and express the joy that we feel when celebrating once again the birth of Christ.  The other stuff of Christmas also has its place even though they seem more like trappings at times.  What does all this mean?  Where is it going?  

It may be related to imagination.  One part of this hymn in particular takes my imagination to another place; another time; another realm.

First off, the hymn can be used as a communion hymn any time of the year.  The last line in the second stanza says, “He will give to all the faithful, his own self for heavenly food,” and points to a Eucharistic celebration.  There are elements of both Advent and Eucharist contained in the lines.  However it is most commonly used during the Advent season and speaks to the miraculous Incarnation.   The thought that comes to mind is contained at the beginning of stanza three.  It reads:

“Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads its vanguard on the way, 

As the Light of Light descendeth from the realms of endless day;

That the powers of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.”

I checked on the word ‘vanguard’ the other day and it implies an entourage that accompanies a king on his way to or from a battle or other major event.  I can envision Heaven as the great plan of salvation begins to unfold.  The unnumbered hosts of Heaven have known about it for eons, and the time has finally come.  The ‘commanders’ (if there are such things among the angels and other ‘hosts’ of Heaven) gives the order and everyone forms two lines, each facing the other, beginning at the main gate; banners of some kind raised; trumpets blare some sort of fanfare.  Christ, the Light of Lights descends, getting smaller the closer he gets, and in doing so brings light to a dark world.  He intends to vanquish the darkness once and for all.  It is a kind of journey ‘downward’ to earth as he takes his place among us in the form of an infant.  

I can’t imagine the transition.  Leaving eternity, this boundless God, who is his own eternity, becomes one of the most helpless of all creation – a human newborn; what an amazing thought.  

At the same time the demons of Hell are getting more and more nervous.  They are terrified of this Light that is descending.  They can’t bear to look at him.  But, when they realize what is going on – that he is coming as an infant – they begin to sneer with glee thinking, ‘this shouldn’t be too hard, to defeat a baby.  We’ll just alert old Herod and he can carry out our plan’.  All along they do not realize what is really going on.  Their power begins to weaken at the very presence of this one who is the light of all eternity.  Becoming an infant will not change that.

Trips of imagination are part of the Christmas season, I guess, and this scene has always taken me to other places; fired my imagination.  

Our response?  Silence.  Just stop for a while and ponder what’s behind it all.  Stop the ‘hubbub’; stop the frenzy.  Recall what it’s really about; how God in Christ came to us from his eternal realm, where he was the Light, to become one of us; an infant; one who depended on his mother for everything, and did what all infants do.

Recall how this infant grew up to become a kid, a teenager, then a grown man who ministered to the lowest of the low; who forgave; and ultimately provided the final sacrifice for our sins. Remember how he can dwell in us now and fill us with love so great he welcomes everyone into his kingdom.  

Most of all let’s occasionally just…be…silent…and let this miracle soak in.  Imagine him descending from the halls of Heaven, entering his mother’s womb and finally being born in a barn.  Find time to just be silent and listen…somewhere…sometime…it will give you a new perspective on the season.

He is born; the Messiah has come.

Thanks be to God.

 

Lord of the Holidays

Christmas trees; lights; candles; the music; snow; decorations; shopping; family gatherings; presents; all of these are earmarks of the Christmas holidays.  They are important in that they help define the season.  The problem is, they can become the only earmark to which we give any thought.  They can become that which actually defines the season.  We get so caught up in buying presents, shopping and these other things that the true reason for Christmas is put on the back burner, yes even for Christians.  Perhaps we don’t do this intentionally, but it does happen.

Ironically, the very word Christmas means Christ’s birth.  Even when we use the term “Xmas” to describe Christmas, we are not leaving Christ out of Christmas at all.  The Greek letter X is the first letter in the name Christ.  The candles represent the star of Bethlehem that the wise men saw and followed and the idea of Christ as the Light of the world.  The exchange of gifts at Christmas is also representative of the gifts the wise men brought to the Christ Child.  So, it seems that no matter how hard we try, we cannot remove Christ from Christmas.  He is the reason Christmas exists in the first place.  

Someone has said that Christ must be Lord of all, or he will not be Lord at all.  Attempting to leave Christ out of Christmas is like having a birthday celebration with the person having the birthday not present.  He must be Lord of the holidays; our holidays.

When we sing the beloved carols of Christmas like “Joy to the World” or “Silent Night,” let your minds wander back to a lowly barn where there is the smell of animals.  A young girl is in the pangs of labor.  She gives birth to a baby boy and has to lay him in a feeding trough.  Picture her concerned husband.  Not the prettiest sight ever imagined, but this is where Jesus was when the shepherds first saw him.  This is how God made his entrance into our world.  Allow this picture to embed itself in your mind, to bring you back to a more simple way of celebrating.  

There is nothing wrong with trees, lights, candles, music, snow, decorations, presents, or family gatherings, as long as the Baby of Bethlehem is Lord of all of these.

“O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord”  

Thanks be to God.