In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all humanity. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. . .
The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
~John 1:1-5, 14~
Few things in this world capture the essence of humanity. We award prizes to those unique individuals who somehow grab hold of a piece of the human condition (Pulitzer and Nobel are the most famous). Even with these 'grand' accomplishments it is astounding how many people still question the meaning of existence and stare into the heavens with a sense of loneliness. Perhaps this is because all of our attempts to express the true nature of ourselves fall terribly short.
Christmas is a magical time. It is magical because of the sense of wonder it arouses within our innermost being. Every Christmas story or movie has some sort of magic attached to it, whether it is about Santa Clause, the birth of Jesus, or some singing snowman. All of our celebration - both secular and religious - comes back to the wonder that encompasses this special time.
And why is this time of the year so special? Most scholars will tell us that Jesus probably was not born anywhere near December and other folks will speak of the notion that this is a holiday invented to compete with the pagan celebrations. OK, so what? The point of the Christian faith is not the specific day that is celebrated but rather the inclusion of a season that focuses on the the coming of the Savior.
It is this advent that sparks the sense of wonder within us. When we stop and ponder the words of the first chapter of John our spirits stir within us and our souls rejoice. Even the world around us cannot hide from this magnificent story. The wonder and magic of the Christmas event permeates our very being. How can Christmas do this? Because in the person of Jesus the essence of humanity is captured fully. When we gaze upon this man we find that the entirety of ourselves is found in him.
The hopes and fears. . .all of our joys, sorrows, successes, failures, morality, sinfulness, laughter, tears are captured in time and space and found within this child. Tonight there is a wonder that is set loose upon the earth. Every year - for at least one night - it cannot be contained.
The wonder that is Jesus is revealed.
He is the essence of us. . .our hopes and fears. . .our beginning and end.
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