I am not quite sure why, perhaps it is because I cycled the length of the British Isles in the summer, or a couple of weeks ago survived a rather nasty car crash in Germany, but my mind this year seems to be focused on the fact that one important theme in the Christmas Story is that of “journey”. As I reread the familiar tale of the birth of Christ I became aware that there were a lot of people moving around for one reason or another. I would like to comment on three groups of travellers taken from the Christmas Story in this year’s Christmas letter.
The central characters in the story of the Nativity, besides Jesus, are of course Joseph and Mary. Their journey, according to St Luke’s Gospel, was caused by the Tax Man. “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.....Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem......with his betrothed Mary, who was with child.” This reminds me of the fact that some of the journeys we have to make in life are not of our own choosing; they are forced upon us by others or by circumstances beyond our control. I would imagine that there was a lot of moaning going on as people responded to the aforementioned decree; I guess that Joseph was none too pleased to have to drag his pregnant intended all the way to Bethlehem only to find the only place to stay for the birth was a stable. In the midst of all this moving about inflicted on the populous by the Emperor the Saviour of the World was born. Amidst all the confusion and noise God was manifest in human form. Julia and I would not have chosen to be involved in a car crash in Germany but in various acts of random kindness, including the medic who just happened to be passing on his way to work and who stopped to attend to us; the policeman who found us somewhere to stay and ferried us back and forth to get our stuff out of the car; families and friends who rallied round and got us home and then off to our cottage so that we could recover from the shock; we saw the hand of God at work.
The second journey I would like to comment on was taken by the Kings or Wise Men as they are sometimes known. Their journey was not forced on them, they read the portents in the stars and chose to journey firstly to Jerusalem and then on to Bethlehem where they encountered the Christ Child and with joy offered their gifts to him. Sometimes in life one is overwhelmed by a sense that one just has to do something, it just seems appropriate or right. The LEJOG bike ride was one such event for me. It just seemed an appropriate thing to do in memory of my late father who first introduced me to cycling. Of course I was not sure at my age whether it would be physical possible but I wanted to give it a go. Perhaps you have, as it were, a star you would like to follow, a dream you wonder whether or not you can make into a reality. Well, like the Kings, why not go for it? You too might just find God is both the inspiration and the end of your journey.
The final journey I would like to write a word or two about also involves Joseph and Mary. This journey is normally called “The Flight to Egypt”. I once heard of a child who drew his vision of this story. Joseph and Mary were neatly drawn along with Jesus in an aeroplane. There was however a fourth figure in the child’s drawing. The teacher asked, “Who is he?” “Pontius the Pilot of course”, replied the child. According to St Matthew’s account the Wise Men trick King Herod who is threatened by talk of a new King of the Jews, and who then proceeds to slaughter all the male children less than two years old. Jesus however escapes this massacre because an angel warns Joseph in a dream and thus the Holy Family flee to Egypt. In other words Joseph and Mary make sure that the Christ Child is kept safe so that he can grow to manhood and fulfil His destiny. This reminds me that it is my responsibility and your responsibility to keep the life of God alive in you and me for only then can we fulfil our true destiny.
A very happy Christmas to you all – Fr Mick