Taking Part in the Christmas Story

“I need to believe, that something extraordinary is possible.” (Alicia says to John in a scene from A Beautiful Mind)

However we view the birth story of Jesus in the Bible, either as fact or a dramatic yet unbelievable ancient tale, it is a wonderful example of the hero’s journey that can inspire our own journey. Every character in the story is challenged to move beyond the ordinary, out of their comfort zones, in order to take part in something extraordinary.  Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, each called to a journey filled with danger and promise.  We too experience tension between motivation and trepidation, as our own callings at once excite our passion, and raise our fears, as a bold invitation to discover a deeper dimension of ourselves that is neither devoid of risk nor certain in outcome. 

We may not have had an angel visitation in the night announcing God’s plan for our life, like Mary, but we’ve all been visited by intuitive nudges, calling us out of our slumber of forgetfulness, to champion a higher way of living this life.  So often, our journey to unchartered territory is instigated by setbacks and loss, when our familiar identity is shattered by life changes and it becomes clear we cannot stay in the same groove any longer.   We may have never been guided by a star in the sky, like the shepherds, but we’ve all been compelled by a passion to live more authentically, to bear witness to and navigate by the light of truth within us. 

What determines whether these callings lead us to an extraordinary life event or merely momentarily quicken our pulse, is how we respond to the dragons that confront us along the way.  Mary was afraid. When told Spirit had plans to do something magnificent through her, she reacted with disbelief and unworthiness.  Ultimately, she surrendered and offered her willingness to be used for God’s purposes, despite what it would mean for her.  The decision would have repercussions: she would be judged and outcast by her community, her betrothed would be shocked, and she would have a baby with no explanation.  Against a noisy backdrop of rational objections to the plan, she moves forward, because the Divine calling is more compelling than the sum of her fears.  And the wise men surely did not want to ride blindly across the desert after a star ....surely they had other plans!

We can decide, as these characters did, to trust the process and rely on the divine promise that has stirred us, to overpower the inertia of our fears and move us forward. We are all on a hero’s journey, with pivotal moments when divine discontent won’t leave us alone and we know we are being called to something higher, greater, more authentically us.  If we allow this feeling to consume us, we can prevail against the dragons of fear and self-doubt.  In such rare moments, we can believe that something extraordinary is possible for us.  It is our willingness to let the Holy Spirit come upon us that invokes substantive change, real transformation when we can be literally reborn from above. 

Jesus' life and teachings are a testimony to the new life that is seeded in each one of us. It also testifies to spiritual life being a journey. As much as we would like Christ awareness handed to us like the proverbial bundle of joy in a sudden birth of enlightenment, for most of us it seems to come at the end of a journey. 

May this story of old, and this season of remembering the Christ, encourage you to listen attentively and deeply to Spirit’s call.  Like the characters in the nativity, it really comes down to being willing to just play your part in the story. May you have the courage and faith to follow the divine plan for your life.  Do not be disillusioned by appearances. The night may be long, dark, and cold, and the odds of success may seem remote, but the promise of extraordinary possibilities will be fulfilled as you remain willing to stay the course.  Your willingness to move forward joined with the certainty of Divine Presence, will surely magnify your soul, and lead you to the scene of the unimaginable, indubious life in Spirit.

Namaste,

Rev. Larry