Christmas - We Are Light

Christmas Meditation given at Central Congregational Church, Christmas Eve, 2014


It is said that
Francis of Assisi
Gave this prayer
Over and over
All through the
Darkness of the night:
“Who are you, God?
and who am I?”
Who are you, God?
And who am I?
We could pray this
Every night
For the rest of our lives
And not even begin
To fully answer these questions.
But in the Christmas story
We catch a glimpse,
As we peak around the stable door,
And eavesdrop on shepherds and angels.

Because this is the story
Of how the mysterious,
Transcendent
Awesomeness of the Divine
Is revealed in human scale,
In a very real,
very flesh and blood,
Baby,
A baby who leaves
the warm friendly darkness
Of the womb
And enters
the cold unfamiliar darkness
Of the world,
crying
as all babies do.
Taking in big gulps air,
Needing to be cared for,
As all babies do,
In a moment,
Like all births,
Full of fears and dreams and hope.

It doesn’t get more real and concrete
Than a dusty, smelly stable
In a crowded town
and a people living under
The yoke of oppression.
Yet, we are told,
Here is our God.

So,
who are you, God?
You, the story says, are the one
who comes
to be
with us;
who comes
Right into the unfamiliar darkness
With us;
Who breathes
With us
And cries
With us.
Emmanuel – God with us.

Who are you, God?
You, we are told, are a child,
Born for us,
Given to us.
Into our care,
As much as we
Are born and given
Into yours.

Who are you, God?
You are, we are shown,
Light.
Not just light,
a “great light”
Light
Present at the dawn of creation
Light
that can be
a blaze of glory
but also dialed down
to a candle flame
So human eyes can
Look,
And not go blind.
A great light
Present in the
Gentle glow
Of a small human face.

You are light
that illuminates our way.
Wonderful Counselor.
You are light
that lifts the burden
and breaks the rod
Of oppression.
Mighty God.
You are light
That holds and comforts
In times of need,
For as long as it takes.
Everlasting Father.
You are light
that offers hope
To a world
That knows
Violence and heartbreak,
Despair and injustice,
All too well.
Prince of Peace.

Who are you, God?
And who am I?
Because you chose
A human form,
This is my story too.
And I wonder
Can all of us,
See ourselves
In it too?

Who am I?
Am I one who took a chance
On an unfamiliar angel
And took a difficult road?
Am I one who journeys
Far from home
Looking for welcome,
And for too long,
Finding none?
Am I one who has walked
In darkness
Friendly and unfriendly
Needing a light?

Who am I?
Am I one who has known
The hope, the pain,
The fear, and joy,
Of bringing new life
Into the world?
Am I one who has sat
On the cold ground
Watching, waiting
For wolves, for a sign
For too long?
Am I one who
Traveled to find the holy
And saw the light of God,
Shining in a baby’s face,
And myself
Reflected in his eyes?
Am I one who
Treasured and pondered
These things in my heart,
And found the light
Was already there?

Who am I?
I am one who
Shares what I have seen,
And felt, and heard,
Never believing it would
Fall to me to
Be the one
Praising God,
Who is good,
All the time.

Who are you, God?
And who am I?
We – are light.
The holy born that holy night,
Born also in me.
The holy light that shone
That night
Shining also in me
This night.
As it is in you.

Because the child
Whose birth we celebrate
This holy night
Became a man
Who calls us
To the light,
Who calls us
To pay attention
And realize
That light is within each of us,
Reflected
in the faces
of every child,
Deep in the heart
Of all people.
One who calls us
To share that light with others.

Who are you, God?
And who are we?
We are people
Who walk,
Who have walked,
In darkness, for too long,
But we are also the ones
To whom you come,
Always,
Out of love;
The people
On whom light has shined
We just need to open our eyes,
To learn to see
with the light
you have given us,
See that same light
Shining in those around us.
What a difference
That makes,
What a difference
That can make
To look at each other,
To look at every other,
Expecting to see light.
It can change the world,
But at the very least,
It can change us,
Which is where it begins,
Where it must begin,
As it began
That long ago night,
When to us a child was born.

 “High from God’s heaven,
a star’s light did fall”
and falls again
tonight.
On us.
In us.
Shine on.
Amen.