12-24-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 24, 2024
Christmas Eve
When the church celebrates Christmas, it’s essentially celebrating an absurdity. Some people are quite thrilled about how our culture has “embraced” Christmas. However, I suggest that instead of amplifying the absurdity, we’ve tried to make it sweet and conventional. With great intentionality, we have extracted absurdity from the narrative. Nevertheless, if we were to allow the story to speak its truth, it would still be as shocking and rebellious as it was to the dominant culture of the first century. Remember, the story proclaims Emmanuel—that is, God born not in the safety of a fortified palace but in a place of poverty and powerlessness. If you want to truly understand the nature of the God in whom Christianity claims to believe, start with that absurdity.

Even if it challenges my sensibilities and forces me to reevaluate my priorities, I approach you with an open mind and a receptive heart, O Emmanuel. Amen.