It is not the heart of the matter, nor is it the key to understanding all that God has done for us, but perhaps it is the doorway into something marvelous. Something that binds the season of Christmas together is its beauty.
The sounds are beautiful. It is not simply the familiar carols and songs of the Season, it is the special gift of music that arises in these days. In our church, the highlight of music was our Cantata. How many other performances and concerts are offered in these weeks? We are preparing the bulletin for Christmas Eve and the insert with the words of Silent Night leapt out at me, so quiet, not exactly the definition of "joy", but with a beauty that will lull the world.
Then there is the visual. How many people have a creche in their home or at their church? Yes, the critics like to remind me that the shepherds AND the Magi did not show up at the same time. But they did show up. Our Pageant was a living nativity, narrating the story as all the elements of our Gospel Christmas account come together. Seeing our young people, our children, our "Wise Guys" from the choir, I do not know how better to describe it than beautiful.
When we step out of church and into the popular culture, many will call it beautiful, some might call it 'over the top', others may speak of 'joy that exploded all over everything', but it is breath taking. We may not hear as many Christian Christmas songs among the songs that are being broadcast, but we know the secret. We know that the root of all the lights and glitz and glory is the moment of the angels shining over the shepherds. We know the Good News of Great Joy they brought to the whole earth.
Not event the world can knock down the beauty of this Season. Some seek to amplify it beyond recognition, but that's another story.
But here is where we begin. Our faith is something of great beauty. Our Lord Jesus is beautiful. The world that God created is beautiful. What Jesus has done for us to show the love of God to all humanity is...wait for it...beautiful. Such grace. Such joy. Such wonder.
Merry Christmas.
Pastor Peter
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