12.24.07 Christmas Eve Meditation
WESTMINSTER PULPIT
The Rev. Dr. David Thompson
December 24, 2007 “Christmas Eve Meditation”
“Above the heavens is Your majesty chanted, Out of the mouths of children, babes in arms.” Psalm 8
Have you ever noticed that it is the small things in the world that are finally the most powerful? Splitting the tiny atom produces the greatest power in the universe. Despite the size of nations it is often one person who makes a difference. Life does not want our sameness, it wants us as individuals. Life makes us first small and distinct.
Lawrence Vander Post writes: “Perhaps what life intends to be great it first makes small, so small that it can almost be imperceptible. Perhaps that is where we all go wrong. We are too impressed by what is great, established in the world around us to notice that bulk and greatness have already lost the power of increase and are doomed to die.” Everything great has a small beginning, like the first Christmas now celebrated around the world by millions; Christmas began with the birth of a baby.
I have always been moved by the Christmas story about there being no room at the inn. Caesar Augustus, impressed by the bulk and greatness of his empire which had lost the power of increase decided that all the world should be taxed. But in a very small corner of his empire a man and a pregnant woman had to return at his decree. Because of the press of people in transit in Bethlehem there was no room for them in the inn.
Many Christmas plays have been written around ‘no room at the inn.’ Most portray the innkeeper as a hard pressed and often unfeeling. I have always thought of him as a kind man and that he was giving Mary privacy for her birth by giving her a stable place to birth her child. Of course the enormity of what he was denying or giving to this woman was not evident to him, as it is evident to us, who have the weight of history to interpret human events.
Out of London, Ontario, about three quarters of an hour away from my last church in Canada, there comes a delightful story of a teacher and her Grade two students performing a Christmas pageant nativity play. Her problem was Ralph. He was a big boy for nine years old. He was clumsy, slow moving and slow thinking but loved by the small children because he was their protector. She decided that he should play the role of the innkeeper. They practiced and practiced for weeks for the annual Christmas extravaganza.
Performance night came and the auditorium filled with family and friends and exuberant children on stage. But no one was caught up more in the magic of that night than Ralph. He was totally into his role.
The play progressed without major mishaps until Joseph appeared tenderly helping Mary to the door of the inn. He rapped hard on the wooden door and Ralph was ready for him.
“What do you want,” he cried pushing the door open with a rude gesture.
“We are looking for lodgings.”
Look for them elsewhere!” Ralph looked straight ahead.
“The inn is full.”
“Kind sir, we have asked everywhere in vain. We have travelled far and are very weary.”
“There is no room for you.”
“Please good innkeeper, this is my wife Mary. She is heavy with child and must find a place to rest for the night. Surely you must have some small corner for her. She is so tired.”
Ralph just stood there. There was a long pause. His teacher panicked and the audience became tense. Still Ralph stood there. His teacher, from the wings, gave him his line over and over for him to say. Finally Ralph repeated the words from the long weeks of practice, “No be gone!”
Joseph sadly placed his arm around Mary and started to turn away.
But Ralph as the innkeeper did not do as he had been directed and go back into his inn. He just stood there, totally into what was happening in that real life two thousand years ago. He stood there watching that forlorn couple. He looked perplexed, with his mouth opened and his brow creased with concern, his eyes full of tears. Suddenly he said, “Don’t go Joseph, please don’t go! Bring Mary back.” His face brightened with a big smile. He stretched out his arms and said; “You can have my room.”
Backstage his teacher’s eyes filled with tears, for she knew that in that moment the glory of God had shone around them.
“Above the heavens is your Majesty chanted,
Out of the mouths of Children…”
For Ralph knew in his child’s heart Who he was turning away and he just couldn’t do it. He knew as we know that this babe in Mary’s arms would “truly teach us to love one another that his law is love and his Gospel is peace. Chains should he break for the slave is our brother and in his name all oppression shall cease.”
Can we be Ralph tonight? Can we become as little children…
Merry Christmas!
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