Christmas serves as a concrete reminder that God is with us and God is active, not just on December 25 but every moment of every day. Often God’s work goes unnoticed like when he slipped in behind enemy lines on that first Christmas morning.
The task is to stay attentive to the signs, to sit with the unknowns and allow God to lead us to the Christ child.
We won’t always know where God is working in our lives or in human history. But the Christmas account is proof positive that God is among us. The question is: are we open and available?
Some years ago, a couple, Sara and Joe, took a pilgrimage. Not an ordinary pilgrimage, mind you. This would be a journey completely dependent upon God.
The plan was to start in China where Sara had worked as a Catholic missionary in the underground Church. From there they would go where the Spirit led them. The only other contact they had was a priest in India.
With an openness to God that would seem reckless to most, they began. In each village, they introduced themselves as missionaries and servants of Christ. If they were welcomed, they stayed. If not, they moved on. (Lk 9:4-5) They ate what they were offered and slept where they could lay their heads.
Often, the people of the village would invite them into their homes or their churches, asking them to share a message with them. They spoke of their journey, their adventures and how God miraculously provided for them. Mostly though, they witnessed to the love of God, available for all people through Christ.
Sometimes, after hearing their witness, someone would say "I must introduce you to my brother". Joe and Sara took that as a sign that the Spirit was directing their next step. So they went. Little did they know that "the brother" lived 14 hours away in Tibet, Nepal or Bangladesh.
Country to country, village to village, church to church they followed God’s lead for over six months. Without a car or much money, they relied on God to direct their steps and provide for their needs.
When Christmas arrived, they were in a remote Muslim area of Turkey without access to a Christian church of any sort. Despite all the ways God had taken care of them and the incredible opportunities they were given to share Christ’s love, they felt alone and cut off that Christmas Eve.
They knew God was everywhere. After all, the central message of Christmas is that God is with us (Emmanuel). Still, they longed for a Christian community with which to celebrate the savior’s birth. They desired to receive the Eucharist and experience that holy communion between God and humanity, a communion incarnated on that first Christmas morning.
Disheartened, they turned to prayer, reading the stories of Joseph and Mary, the shepherds and the angels, the donkeys and the sheep. They imagined them all gathered in that dusty, remote outpost of the Roman Empire. They pictured the glow of awe and wonder on their faces as they welcomed the Christ child.
Noticing the similarities between their rugged reality and the cave that housed the baby Jesus, Sara suggested to Joe: "Let’s go off by ourselves for an hour to listen to the Lord speak to us of Christmas. When we return, we will know how to celebrate and worship the newborn king."
An hour passed and they both returned with the same idea. "Let’s create a manger scene right here".
With single-hearted devotion, they whittled branches, gathered rocks, collected moss, grass and twigs until, as the sun set, they knelt before a hand carved Christmas crèche, complete with animals, angels and the Holy Family.
There, they spontaneously praised the great gift of God, who held nothing back to show His love. There, in the hills of Turkey with only stars for light and roaming animals to keep them company, they heard God speak: "The people in darkness have seen a great light...For unto us a child is born, a son is given...They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace." (Is 9)
Years have passed and Sara and Joe now have four children of their own. Each Christmas they pull out that sacred homemade crèche set, still lovingly preserved. Now, however, there are four new pieces, equally handcarved in a spirit of reverence and praise. The children love to see themselves as little fi gurines kneeling in front of the baby Jesus. Joe says, "it makes them feel like they were there. We like it because it reminds us that God is with our children."
Christmas comes once a year, but Christ is born again and again to those who are not too busy to notice.
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About David O’Brien
David O’Brien is the Associate Director of Religious Education for Lay Ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile. His column, Everyday Faith, appears regularly in the archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic Week. Email David at dobrien@mobilearchdiocese.org.
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