“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.” - Luke 2:7
Merry Christmas, friends!
Tonight, as we gather around candles, at church or in our hearts, we cradle the light of Christ that came in on a night when everyone was full of fear. When Mary and Joseph finally found refuge from a long and arduous journey, they did not get to go right to sleep — even a fitful sleep that often accompanies a first night in a new place. Instead, their worst fears came true: away from the comforts of home, Mary would deliver her baby. Childbirth was much more dangerous than it is now, and I can only begin to imagine the questions Mary had when the labor pains began.
Despite the fears, she had no choice but to surrender to the ancient process of bringing life into the world, trusting her body and the people around her to know what to do, no matter what happened next. I can imagine the relief on her face when her baby was brought to her chest to lie as they both found a way to breathe, Jesus for the first time, and Mary for the first time in a long time.
Perhaps the tradition to join our lights and hearts together in the stillness of night reflects this moment more than Jesus’s actual birth, which must have been chaotic, full of fear, and messy. When we sing Silent Night, perhaps we are doing so to give into that sense of relief that follows fear.
In Luke’s account of Jesus’s birth, this detail of Mary wrapping Jesus in bands of cloth strikes me as something of a miracle. In a fearful time, in a messy birth, with scraps, God incarnate - fully dependent on the hospitality and love of other humans - is laid to find a peaceful night’s rest in the midst of a terror-filled world. In the years to come, Jesus would stand toe-to-toe with the power of the world, combating it with the power of love. But for now, a miracle baby sleeps in a borrowed bed, in a borrowed room, with an exhausted family.
Friends, as we, together, birth the way of Love into the world, may we feel the peace of our labors even just for a moment, as we cradle the light of Christ born anew on our hearts and in our world.
With Tidings of Comfort and Joy,
Pastor Lauren
Art: "Mary Breastfeeding Baby Jesus" by Kelly Latimore