The Misfits of Christmas

This Sunday marks the beginning of the new year at St. Patrick. Advent marks the the four weeks where we start telling the story of redemption and where it all began - with the Incarnation of God. Is this a big deal? Should we celebrate this with such abundance? Should we deck and guild the church so that everywhere you look there is a reminder that we are in a special season? Many look at the way the Christmas Season has been highjacked by consumerism and suppose we should tone it down. Here is what I have to say to that: even if I tried I couldn’t!The story of the incarnation of God into our world is the greatest story ever told. In fact, I would suggest that all great stories follow this one. All great stories that really last and move the moral imagination are stories of rescue where the hero will stop at nothing, even giving his life, to rescue his beloved, his people, or something very dear to him. So what we celebrate for the next four weeks leading up the The Feast of Christmas (on a Sunday this year) is the fact that there is absolutely nothing God will not do to save you and me.Imagine with me for a second what it means for God to become one of us? It would be sort of like you or me becoming an ant. Yes, a lowly ant. We must look like god’s to a colony of ants, and with ease we can crush them, poison them, or run over them with a lawnmower. To us, ants are insignificant. Our size and power render them small and vulnerable and of no value. Now, to God the same could be said of us, could it not? God is so far above us in power, glory, holiness, splendor, and love as to make us insignificant. He could wipe us out with a word and in most religions of the world, the god(s) are always contemplating how to rid themselves of the vermin called humans who are always trying to usurp their power.Here are the facts. God is big, we are small. He is holy, we are not. He lovingly made us and we don’t reciprocate. We deserve to be destroyed and we are not. He rules and we try to usurp his rule. So does God long to destroy us or punish us? No! In fact, the exact opposite! God has gone to elaborate lengths to turn rebels into his friends. That is such good news that we will spend the next four weeks celebrating Jesus becoming one of us. So, let the feasting that began this week in a great civic holiday - Thanksgiving - keep going for the next month as we celebrate not just temporal blessing, but eternal blessings. Hope to see you Sunday!Blessings,Jim For a great brief overview of the Christian Calendar, check out this video here.