What a journey for Mary and Joseph. Maybe you’ve been on a long trip, and then when you finally reached your destination, something went wrong; maybe there was construction or traffic that turned your hour-long road trip into four, so you were exhausted when you arrived at your destination. Maybe we can relate to what it might have been like for Mary and Joseph. once they finally made it to Bethlehem, even if there wasn’t room at the hostel or inn. Maybe they were just grateful to have a place to rest after their long journey. This evening isn’t about the difficulties of their travel but about the joy of the miracle that was to come.
It’s about God coming to join us, to be one with us as closely as possible, and to bring us peace, grace, love, hope, and joy in the birth of Jesus.
That he was born to a family of humble means was important. As we hear, Jesus will become the Savior long foretold.
Tonight is also about the shepherds who were scared at first, but after they heard the angel’s message, they made their way to the manager and then shared the good news for all to hear.
Maybe you can think of a time when you’ve been afraid but then remembered Jesus’ love for you and felt slightly less so.
Our stories tonight are about regular people, humble people, Mary and Joseph, and then the shepherds just doing their jobs chosen by God to reveal the mystery of Jesus’s birth.
As we sing together and remember the birth of Jesus swaddled in his loving parent’s arms, I hope we can all remember the message of peace Jesus’ birth brings to us. To be kind to ourselves and our families, however, you define them. And to extend that same loving kindness to all we meet on our journeys, sharing peace with all whom we meet today and always. Amen
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