Dec 21 2008                      A Cry of Love                                  Luke 1: 26 -38

Christmas pageants.  We love them.  We know the way we do them brings together many diverse traditions.  Shepherds and Magi in one story, for we collapse Matthew and Luke into one narrative.  We create one story out two different traditions.  They work because we engage in what is called suspicion of disbelieve.  We do not worry about the problem of facts - we let go of the view of fact fundamentalism  - as this is the way it happened. Instead we feel the story.  We let the story as story inform us,  and carry us.  We watch in the same way we look at all dramas.  We watch in the same way we go to movies, read fiction, watch TV and we know these stories are more true than reality TV.  For they tell us a truth deeper than we can imagine.  Pageants are enjoyed, for they touch us and take us into a narrative about God loving this world.  For that is the truth of them.

Luke gives us the first Christmas pageant.  The story begins with a birth that speaks of the “scandal of particularity.”   He weaves together many traditions of his time: the hero stories, the template of the tradition of Judaism and the growth of the gentile church.  He gives us a story of Love.  He gives us a story of acceptance.   He gives us a story of acceptance built on a liturgical tradition of Judaism - a ritual of New Years transformation.  It is based on two women, one too old to birth and one too young.  A time of renewal.   A time of surprise and wonder.  A time of love.

Love. The Beatles sang  “all we need is love”.  In our culture we talk a  lot about love. But most of the talk, though, is often a clever marketing tool that plays on our sentiments to get us to do something, to buy something, to prove to our loved ones that we really do care and value them.   We speak of falling out of love as if it an emotion or a sentiment. Love often becomes warm fuzzies in our culture.   We have a fairy tale concept of love.

Luke’s pageant is much more tough minded, in his story of love.  The love we celebrate at Christmas is deeper than feelings.  It is more than wishing good wishes.  It is a demanding spiritual discipline that we must build our life on and practice every day,  all year long.  Love is a gift that informs us so we take it into life no matter the circumstances, no matter what life throws at us.

Mary again is the center of the pageant. There is nothing good about the situation, for her, Joseph, her family or his, or the entire community.  Gabriel comes to her and interrupts her life with the announcement of birth.  Like all births, it is an interruption, for births are interruptions of life as it is.  But unlike other births it is not expected.  A transformational moment.

Despite the interruption to normal expectations, Mary responds with a welcome.  With a song of joy.  She receives love.  Now I am not sure that would be our response in her situation. It might be “really” or “get serious” or “I rather not.”  Because this radical intrusion of love interrupts our reality.  It is a situation where I am busy and there is an unexpected person at my door.  What I am doing I feel is crucial, yet here I am interrupted and my tight world is turned upside down.    This love is a radical transformation of reality.

Do you remember the Monkees and the Neil diamond song?

I thought love was
Only true in fairy tales
Meant for someone else
But not for me
Love was out to get to me
That's the way it seems
Disappointment haunted
All my dreams

And then I saw her face
Now I'm a believer
Not a trace
Of doubt in my mind
I'm in love
I'm a believer
I couldn't leave her
If I tried

Mary is willing to be interrupted. She has her life turned upside down.  Mary can speak to us to put aside all the business and busyness of the season and to open ourselves to love that lasts.  Mary brings new life into the world.  A re-birthing of the grace of God in our daily lives.   It would not have been easy for Mary and Joseph - this interruption to welcome love that changes the world. Yet when Grace, when the love of God came to her, she accepted.

This love speaks of partnership.  God cannot do it alone. God needs someone to  touch by Love, by Grace. Think of it this way, Grace is like kissing God  and being kissed by God. There is passion.  There is desire. But like all kissing it is effective only when it is received and responded to.  The kiss is not thrown or blown or forced or slept through.  In one measure or another, sooner or later it is accepted, enjoyed.  Mary sings that her life will “glorify God.”  She knows she is needed in this pageant, this moment of interruption so that love may be in the world.

Now this love the pageant reminds us of,  is not easy. Love takes risks, gets down in the mess of our world.  Love takes risks for the sake of the other, the weak, the disadvantaged, the unknown.  Love risks for the common good - the good of community and the world. This love lures us into unknown places, interrupts so we change our path and join with the in-breaking love.  This love is the foundation of our spiritual practice.  It is truly relational.  Love connects us to all other creators in the world.  Love is deep compassionate knowledge of the needs of others.  Love is deep compassionate knowledge of ourselves, our desires, fears, hopes and shortcomings.  Love wills the well-being of all.

Advent has called us to be interrupted, so we can feel and taste love that transforms us and all. As we listen and sing, we are asked to listen for God’s lively possibility in our own life and respond like Mary did, with “Here I am, servant of the Lord.”  Like Mary, God is born in us and through us.  We are asked to let God be born in us today.