The angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,[b] the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. – Luke 2:10-12
“Good news of great joy.” Perhaps you feel like you need that right now. I do.
I’ve always been drawn to the signs and ornaments of this season that read, “Joy”. Joy was my mother’s middle name, and she lived it every day, no matter how tough-going things were. Today, that simple word brings me gratefulness, tender grieving, and comfort – all at the same time.
Our culture tends to think of joy only as happiness, partying, giddiness – something we experience when everything is going right with us and our world. But true joy is bigger than that. It can grow out of our deepest longings and hurts. It can grow sweeter with time as we look back and gain a fresh perspective. It comes, as the angels told the shepherds, because of the Christ child in a manger - God becoming flesh to live among us then – and now.
The thing about joy is that it is not something we can keep to ourselves; it bubbles over and needs to be shared. Those shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem couldn’t keep the good news of great joy to themselves. It had been given for all people.
This makes Christmas the perfect time to pause and reflect:
- Who do I know that might be longing for that good news of great joy?
- Who is grieving or alone, in need of a warm meal or shelter?
- To whom does my community give the impression that they do not belong or that there is no room for them?
- How can I make a difference to bring joy to people far, far away?
- How might my heart be opened to see the face of God in all people?
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Immanuel, God-with-us, may our joy over the Christ child overflow to actions of love, kindness, generosity, compassion, and welcome for all the people.
I wish you and yours, and your congregation, a blessed Christmas, marked by the proclamation of great joy for all the people: “To you is born this day a Savior.”
+ grace, love, joy, and peace,
Bishop Dee Pederson
