A few weeks back, we rushed tickets to a preview of A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater.
It was the first time, for our family, seeing the show and it both thrilled and delighted:
“God Bless Us, Every One!”
Every. Single. One. Tiny Tim.
Every. Single. One.
Such a great line and vision for Christmas. God joining the mess of the have and have nots. The flipping of those in power and the voice of truth ringing out with crutch in hand.
So Jesus-ian, Charles Dickens.
The full cast even sang and did American Sign of We Wish You a Merry Christmas at the very end.
Hearts literally melting. A truly beautiful human and divine transformation. Spook spirits and all.
To be honest, it felt a bit early for me to be getting into the Christmas season and the Christmas Spirit. I tend to be the hold out in our household.
It’s usually already snowed a few flakes before I am able to put lights up on the roof top, despite being blanketed in early darkness for weeks.
I’m also not a huge fan of early Christmas music playing in stores in November. I don’t really like going into stores at all this time of year, truth be told.
I can be a skosh Scrooge-ish as we move into these colder Holy Days in the upper Midwest. I tend to come late to the party.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Advent and the buzz of hope, God’s ancient stories of prophecy and promise, all the blues and the apocalyptic edge.
That’s probably why I loved the show so much, it offers the darker side of Christmas, a warning in the night, all of Christmas’ past, present and future blending together in the nostalgia of the season.
It’s a reflection on time, both God’s time and ours—how much we have, and who shares it with us. It’s about who is not with us on stage as much as who is.
This reflection on time is a reminder for me that God doesn’t wait for us to be ready, to have our decorations up or candles lit, or know all the songs by heart.
Christmas has never followed our timeline or predictability.
The incarnation doesn’t depend on that, doesn’t depend on us. It is God’s call, God’s choice, God’s risk and God’s love. For such a time as this. Into all of our pasts, presents and futures. Into all our endings and beginnings. Into our grief and loss. Into our despair and division. Into our uncertainty. Into our worry. Into our chaos and stress. Into war and famine and fear.
Into all of it. Jesus is born and the chorus of angels sing into all of our pasts, presents and futures. Into our hopes and joys and dreams and peace.
Jesus is born no matter what. For everyone. That is The Good News. God’s call, God’s choice, God’s risk, God’s love incarnate.
I may still be a bit behind this year on Christmas cheer, but I trust that my heart will continue to melt with God’s love, peace and blessing. Even a bit early.
May you too experience the fullness of God’s blessing early and often, dear Trinity.
God Bless Us, Every One.
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Peter
