"This Changes Everything" December 24, 2015 Midnight

Luke 2:1-20 Christmas is layered in tradition. We decorate an evergreen tree because, on his way home from worship Christmas Eve, Martin Luther saw a tree glistening with icicles and snow in the moonlight. We hang stockings by the fireplace, because according to tradition, everyone wore stockings and after they were washed, dried them by the fire; so where better to hide chocolates, little presents, surprises. We sing Silent Night A Capella because a mouse chewed through the leathers of Franz Gruber's Organ. Santa Claus has a long white beard, a round belly and a red suit, instead of being a skinny old Elf in green, because according to a tradition, begun by Coca-cola in 1931, that is how they envisioned him. How many traditions are true and which have been created, none of us know. But whether we live in Berkeley, Brooklyn, or Barranquilla; whether we live part of the year in Indiana, Florida, or Carolinas; or if we live year-round in Skaneateles; Like Mary and Joseph we come to our ancestral home of what is familiar at Christmas. The smells of cookies and gingerbread, the flicker of candlelight, adults talking all night long, we each have in our hearts what makes the Perfect Christmas. My 16 year old nephew Tom's whole concept of Christmas is connected to Candlelight in this Sanctuary, because for the first thirteen years of his life, his family drove after work from Washington DC to Skaneateles and he was awakened to the pipe organ at 11:00pm, having been miraculously transported from home to Christmas. Our Humanity, following from Greek Philosophers, seems to expect that if God reveals himself at all (And that is a BIG IF), then God could only be revealed in universal truths, and not particularly in personal space and time. Greek Philosophers described this as finitus non capax infiniti. “The Finite Being InCapable of Containing the Infinite.” When actually, that is the miracle of Christmas! Tradition is also about change, personal change changes everything, the violation of expected routine. Grandma is no longer here to make her cookies, so we have to come up with our own way of doing so. Dad has cancer, and every day becomes vital/precious because we know not how many more we have. A new fiance or partner has been added to the family, so a new stocking, a new place at the Table. A new baby, and everything is different, everything is changed and new. Our Reading begins with a setting of international political world super powers, with Caesar Augustus of the Roman Empire and Quirinius like modern day Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Immigration Law; instead of building a Wall, the Roman Empire had constructed A Road, and declared that millions of people be forced to travel in order to be Taxed. YET in contrast to this historic Force of the Empire, one particular couple: Joseph and his Mary, gave birth to a baby. There is similarity to an earlier story, of Pharaoh and Egypt, and an oppressed people, when a couple give birth to a baby: Moses. Whether we go backward or forward in time, the common act of the birth of this baby at Bethlehem changed everything, changed the world. The keeping of time, the forces of the Empire, Art, Music, Architecture, would never have been the same without the birth of this child. Viewed spiritually, here I do not mean Religion, but Cosmic forces of Heaven and Earth, Divinity and Corruption. Throughout human history, there had been described an increasing Gulf separating us from God, as if every generation added more hate and division. So much so, the ancient world described an impending END of The WORLD, Creation being attacked by Armies of Angels. The idea of an apocalypse is not new to the Hunger Games or Maze Runner! One of the darkest, most hate-filled period in American history were the McCarthy Hearings, when our leaders demanded that we turn against our family, friends and neighbors. Do you recall how it all ended? Finally, another Senator turned to Senator Joe McCarthy to ask “Sir, do you have no humanity left in you? Is there not a single shred of decency and caring humanity?” When suddenly, on one particular night, just passed the Winter Solstice, the longest darkest night of the year, Shepherds keeping watch over the flocks in the wilderness, were greeted by an Army of Angels. All were declaring a Miracle: that God had bridged the divide, the Creator had Entered INTO Creation. Instead of coming to Judge and Destroy, God gave forgiveness, God had come as a vulnerable newborn to redeem all humanity. The declaration “PEACE ON EARTH” needs to be heard between Superpowers and Governments, HOWEVER in Luke, PEACE ON EARTH was the angels describing an End to our estrangement as Sinners, Humanity from God. The End, the War of the Worlds, the Apocalypse of Time & Space – All came through the birth of this child, as if One person could make a difference! One Person Could Change Everything! The Finite of this life Could Contain the Infinite! We routinely live as if unchanged, as if our lives were an unbroken line that we at least follow if not control. We live estranged, isolated and alone, awaiting someone to come as a Savior, as if Christ has yet to come, when all of this happened 2,000 years ago, changing everything. The question this Christmas is whether we live as if this world, our lives were finite and corrupt, where the Apocalypse is inevitable, war is inevitable, nothing can ever change, every day is just like all the days before; OR if one person could change everything? Sometimes all it takes is for someone to believe in you! While there are changes that weigh upon us; the message of this night is “Good News of a Great Joy for all people.” JOY is such a precious and rare thing in our world today. When the Doctor's Office calls to report that “The shadow we saw on your lung turns out to be nothing more than a shadow.” When you have been searching for a job, and you receive a call asking when you can start. Sunday, as two babies were baptized and with the 3 month old screaming, the 6 month old reached over to touch and reassure him, you could feel the joy in the Sanctuary. When we began the Congregational Meeting naming that someone phoned to commit to support the transition of our church by making a major gift to help with the transition, you could feel the joy like a great burden of stress being taken off our shoulders. This week, when Paul Ariik, one of the South Sudanese refugees phoned to say, “Pastor, my wife and I wish to be married, could you do this today?” There was joy! Other than the Liquid Dish Detergent, you cannot buy Joy. Joy is not tangible. We do not join together to have Joy, it is a byproduct of our sharing! Good News of a Great Joy, lifts our spirits and affirms, we can do this because there is less stress, less worry, less doubt, SOMEBODY ELSE Believes in us and in our star. The circumstances of our life change everything. The Ancient Greek Philosophers had it all wrong, life is not about the capability of the Finite to CONTAIN the Infinite, but the Infinite caring so much about us personally, loving us so completely, as to enter into Creation, Redeeming the lost, that is a great Joy. We have heard reports of killings and suicide bombings, until whenever there is any breaking story, we steal ourselves for how many people were killed. What would it take for there to be announcement of the permanent end of hostility, an act of JOY that makes all hate and war and terrorism totally futile? I am old enough to remember the beginning of the Lottery for the Viet Nam Draft. I recall the constant reporting of the First Gulf War, and trying to explain to the children of the church, our own children: we had wished you would never learn what war was, that peace could last forever. I recall watching incredulously as 747s flew directly into the Trade Towers. There have been so many schools, theaters, houses of worship, made into places of terrorism and fear. Whom would you need to hear it from, to believe “Good News of a Great Joy,” that Peace had come to all people, Light into this darkened world. Our President? The United Nations? The Pope? John Paul II in every one of his writings, declared “Be UnAfraid” yet here we are today. Not a temporary cessation of some singular conflict, but a change that changes everything for ever. Not only between Nations and Tribes, between Political Parties and factions; but within our families, also. Whom would we need to hear what from in order to believe and live as if, This changes everything! Angels in the wilderness, describing the most ordinary thing being the act of Salvation from God? The infinite choosing to be One with us in this finite world? I Bring you Good News of a Great Joy for all people, you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. The birth of child, every person offers that possibility, that Good News, that THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!