There are two stories of the birth of Jesus. One is in Luke, where Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem, and the baby is born. The second story is found in Matthew , and it is mostly about the Wise Men of the East, who come to present gifts to Jesus and his parents. Mark and John, the other two biographers of Jesus found in the New Testament, do not have a birth story. Maybe we should celebrate Christmas every other year, since it is not a big deal for the writers in the Bible.
Whatever the meaning in the Bible, I came to a new realization that, the Church has lost the story of Christmas to the society of the world. If Thailand can put snowmen to celebrate Christmas , I think the Christian faith has lost control of the story. I am not trying to be a Scrooge ( And Scrooge is not in the Bible either. He is a creation of Charles Dickens. ) So, I am not going to lament the loss of the story, but I am naming it for myself. What is the story all about for my trek of life ?
The Manger scene is a crowded place at Christmas. Even Santa arrives sometimes. Let us take away Santa, the tinsel, the lights and the reindeer. I am not against Santa, because Santa came to my house one Christmas Eve. My dad had been injured at work, and there was no money for presents, and some Santa showed up and brought me a hockey stick, and presents for everybody in my house. But, let us take Santa out of the picture.
And then there are the shepherds in the manger scene as well. They come from the Luke story, and not the one from Matthew. They had heard the angels say that the Messiah was born, and they come looking to see the baby. We do not know how many, but let us take all the shepherds out of the picture, and let them go back to farming. They told everyone about what they had seen, but what did they tell people ?
And the donkeys, the cattle, the chickens and the cats, and any other barnyard creatures ; they can all leave as well. I am not against animals or farmers. We do not need all the sounds that the animals make to be in the story this year.
The Wise Men can go back to Persia or Babylon or from wherever they have come from , as they followed the Star. That can go too. The tradition has put all kind of things around the Three Wise Men. It does not say three, but the early church named a fourth one, and has given them all names . They/we have put crowns on their heads carrying elaborate gifts. Forget all this, and leave them out of the scene. Take the little Drummer boy and Ahmal as well. And even the Hallelujah Chorus, and I love to song it.
We have Mary and Joseph left with the baby. Joseph can go because according to the story he is not the real Father. Mary ponders much in her heart, but she can leave with the baby as well, The manger is now empty, no animals, no star, no gifts and no parents and baby.
After all the celebrations and performances are done, and the Manger is now empty of all the excitement, what do we have left for our lives ? Where does our faith go now ? Jesus has much more to say about that. And it is much more interesting and challenging than the baby story. The Baby is born . Praise God, but what is next for you and me, because the Manger is now empty, and we must go on into 2018.
Fred Redekop
Ponder Anew 