It's a beautiful message we share with the world, and the world is perhaps never more able or willing to hear that message than during this season of the year we call Christmas. Tonight – this very might – in nations near and far, Christians are gathering - and in most places others are gathering with them, perhaps out of tradition, perhaps out of curiosity, perhaps even for reasons they're not aware of, but all drawn together by the belief that there is something meaningful in the Christmas story; something that demands to be heard. Many centuries before Jesus was born, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, and said these words: “ How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation.” That message would be beautiful because it would come to a world sorely in need of good news, of peace, of good tidings and – yes – of salvation. God's people waited for centuries, and then – into a tiny village known as Bethlehem, into the humblest of circumstances – came One Who would change the world, who would be the salvation that the world was looking for; that the world yearned for. And with the birth of Jesus, indeed, “all the ends of the earth [now] see the salvation of our God.” Indeed, the message is beautiful – and just what the world is waiting for.

 

     But as desperate as the world may be to hear the message (or at least as desperately as the world may need to hear the message) it is so easily drowned out. The signs are all around us. Christmas trees and decorations have been up in stores and shopping malls for weeks – and in some even months. Christmas carols were starting to be heard in the malls in November. There was a bit of a debate going on this year about whether it was appropriate or not to have Christmas lights up before Remembrance Day. People have been thinking about and hearing about and seeing the signs of Christmas for some time now, but in the midst of all those signs, I wonder if the real message hasn't been drowned out. Perhaps that's why the church stubbornly insists that our celebration of Christmas has to wait for a while. We mark Advent and not Christmas in December – Advent that reminds us not of the birth of Jesus but of the great gifts of God to His people: peace, hope, joy and love. The world believes Christmas starts around the end of November or even before, but the church knows better. Christmas begins with the coming into the world of the Son of God; with the entry of light into darkness. Christmas begins this very night as we celebrate the child of Bethlehem.

 

     Hannah and I have a bit of a dispute going about what the best television Christmas special is. She is passionately devoted (for this year at least!) to “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.” It's a charming story (and who doesn't love the gentle voice of Burl Ives narrating it) but as charming as it is, I still cast my vote for “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” That show, you see, hits the nail on the head. If you remember the show, you'll remember that it revolves around a school Christmas pageant the Peanuts gang are producing. The pageant is rife with secular music that has little if anything to do with Christmas, and the biggest concern of the gang is to find the biggest and most beautiful Christmas tree to augment the play, while Snoopy strings a huge set of lights and other decorations on his doghouse to win the “best decorated” contest. Charlie Brown becomes more and more frustrated by the emptiness of the whole thing and finally, as the show nears its end, cries out “Can't anyone tell me what the meaning of Christmas is?” And Linus – the always wise Linus – says “I can tell you the meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown.” And he walks to the microphone, and a light shines through the darkness onto him and he reads, in the wonderful, majestic language of the King James Bible: