O Lord, we pray, speak in this place, in the calming of our minds and the longing of our hearts, by the words of my lips and in the thoughts we form. Speak, O Lord, for your servants listen. Amen.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
These oft-quoted words are the words that begin the book, A TALE OF TWO CITIES, by Charles Dickens and I repeat them to you today because they are words that are true about the times in which we live - just as they were true in Dicken's day, and indeed in the days of Mary and Joseph.
It was, and is, the best of times, And it was, and is, the worst of times.
Today as we celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent and we look at the candles that have been lit, the candles of hope, peace, love and joy; I want to ask you all to remember that in these times there is much to celebrate and that this is always true, that there is always much to celebrate, no matter how bad the times are and no matter how much worse we think the times may become.
The Christmas message is that God is with us - Lord Emmanuel, and no matter how many Grinches may try to steal our Christmas, no matter how many negative forces may try to rob us of the hope, the peace, the love and the joy that God intends for us nothing can take from us that which is good, and true, and pure, and lovely, and gracious.
Jesus was born in a world like ours, in fact, in a world even worse than ours, it was a world in which tyranny ruled everywhere, and poverty and hunger and suffering was overwhelming for all but a very few.
When you look at the time of Jesus realistically you might easily think that it was the height of foolishness for Mary to sing for joy to God as she did: what after all was there for her to celebrate but some strange dream, some vision; and a pregnancy that had almost led to her being rejected by her betrothed one, by Joseph?
The times were bad - and everyone knew that they were going to get worse. This was as plain to see as Caesar's armies and Herod's tax-collectors, and the crosses that so often appeared along the roads and highways.
What was there to celebrate in Judea over 2000 years ago?
And what today - is there to celebrate?
People we love get sick and die, children kill by a shooter, our jobs and our security are continually threatened, our children's futures are uncertain, and around the world newly won freedom is turning to into anarchy and chaos, even as millions starve in the midst of plenty.
It was then, and it is now, the worst of times.
But my friends, it was then, and it is also now, the best of times.
I say that because the Spirit that took hold of Mary, and conceived within her a child, is here with us today.
And just as the Spirit, working in Mary, brought forth life and light to the world in the person of Jesus - so it still brings forth life and light to the world through its working in us and in those around us.
That light and that life cannot be destroyed - no matter how bad the times are. In fact that light and that life often appears stronger the worse things get in the world.
The Grinch who stole Christmas in the Dr. Seuss story, tried to steal Christmas by taking from the villagers all their Christmas decorations, all their trees, all their presents, all their food, all the exterior things that they enjoyed so much - and yet Christmas continued despite this theft because the villagers had Christmas inside them.
And as it was with Mary and Joseph and Elizabeth and Zechariah, and so it is and so it can be today with us. So it should be for us today.
I have listened patiently for a number of years as people have told me how Christmas is not like it used to be.
These people, these grinches, keep on trying to steal Christmas by looking at the bad things and forgetting that good things exist too, and that good things exist not in some kind of splendid isolation, but in the midst of all that is, and that goodness shine brightest in those places where it is most needed - right next to the bad things - indeed - often right in the middle of them.
As it says in the Gospel of John - The Word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth.
Where is Christmas today as it used to be?
Where it has always been - among the humble and lowly, and with those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and with those moved by the Spirit of love, the spirit of Christ.
Where is Christmas to be found?
It is to be found in the Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts who collected items for
the poor, and in adults who donated to Operation Santa Claus.
It is to be found too in those cartoonists, who give us in the comic pages some beautiful messages to remind us what Christmas is about.
And it is found even in the most commercial of all places, our Shopping Malls. In one such last week a couple was taking their little girl out of the mall near closing time, and she spied Santa Claus and the helpers getting ready to go home for the night.
She had never met him before and was so excited by seeing him that she literally shook and trembled at the sight. The helprs glared at her and her parents, making it clear that closing time had come and gone and further visitors were not welcome. The little girl tried to break free to run and see Santa, but her parents held her back and tried to explain to her that Santa had a long day and that he had to get back home, but despite all this discouragement the girl just kept shaking and trembling and staring at Santa and struggling to see him, and this too despite the real dangers posed by the swinging around of the camera equipment and rope barriers that was occurring as the photographer packed his equipment.
And then, suddenly, Santa Claus pushed past all his helper and his photographer, and swept the little girl up into his arms. And she stopped trembling, and she was speechless.
He asked her if she had been a good girl - Good Girl, she said. He asked her if she wanted a doll. A doll, she said. A few more questions - and the meeting was over - and the girl went away with her parents and she could not stop talking as she left about what she had seen.
Christmas is found wherever there is caring and sharing, and caring and sharing my friends exists all around us, and nothing and nobody can steal this from us, even when, and if, we live in the worst of times.
God chooses to dwell in the midst of his people, his son was born in Bethlehem, one of the least of the towns of Judah, and he was born to be the servant of many, rather than to be a king.
He spent his time with ordinary people, and he healed and he helped those that others ignored, and he was killed.
But his life was not destroyed. He rose, and he bestows upon all who would receive it his spirit, the spirit of love, and of hope, the spirit of joy, and of peace, and this makes Christmas what it is...it makes this the best of times, for those who believe.
The spirit of Jesus - the spirit of Christmas - is alive this year everywhere.
So many - so very many - are giving birth to hope, to love, to joy and to peace in this way - so many are giving birth to Jesus Christ.
This Christmas ponder the events around you
- consider what God has done
- consider God's very great promises to us
- accept his commands
- act on the promises and you too will give birth to Jesus.
Through you, as through Mary, God will come to bless this world and we will be able, with joy, to say with Mary:
"Our souls magnify the Lord and our spirits rejoice in God our Saviour!"
and with Zechariah:
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He has visited and redeemed His people!"
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