Running with the Sheperds
Luke 2: 8-20
December 24, 2006 8PM
This is my favorite of the two Christmas stories. I enjoy the shepherds the most. Here are these stinky, dirty guys who've been out making a living by sleeping, eating, and living with the sheep. They've been hanging outside keeping predators away from the flock at night. They are invisible to the community except the ranchers who own the flock. And, even to them, they are disposable laborers. Just like today's day laborers we pretend not to see. You know the folks who come and clean our yards. You know the folks who are washing dishes and cutting up our food in the restaurants where we eat. You know the people trucking our stuff across the nation day and night because we can't wait one more minute. The people who clean our cars and change our oil. These are the people that God sent the bat sign to. Hey, you out there in the night! Who us? Yeah, you. Don't be afraid. I bring you the best news. Your savior has come, tonight under the star in Bethlehem . The kid's been born for you. God's heard your prayers out here at night. Go, go and see this phenomena, it's all for you.
You can see them standing there slack jawed, so the angel continues…
That's right this God of ours, heard your voices. This God of ours, loves you. This God of ours wanted to give you a sign, that it's OK to let go of your fears and trust. Trust that God will never leave you alone in the night. Trust that God will always be with you, listening to your prayers and sending signs that your prayers have been answered.
These shepherds were not afraid, they were terrified. Have you ever felt afraid to act? Or afraid that the choice you made might be wrong? Afraid that the new life you've begun—by moving to a new community, or adopting a child, or going back to school, or taking a new job, or retiring –will not work out as you had hoped? When we open our hearts in prayer and trust in the boundless love and care God has for us we can move way beyond fear.
Those Shepherds were surrounded by light and they weren't afraid, they were terrified. When you shine light in a place that hasn't seen the light in awhile or never, people are skeptical, doubtful, and afraid. Afraid, you won't keep your promise. Afraid, you will judge them for where they are or who they've been afraid of catching a glimpse of who they are. When the Sufi Muslims pray, they hold people in love and light. In our tradition when the Quakers are asked to pray they say they'll hold you in the Light. This is a type of prayer of absolute trust which delights in God's awesome wisdom. It is a prayer of surrender to the larger picture of God's love. And, those Shepherds, at first terrified, were surrounded and bathed in the love and light of God. They were held as to feel what it meant to shift from absolute terror to peace.
I bring you tidings of GREAT joy for ALL the people. For all. For them, and even for us. No one had ever said such things to them. Not to mention filled them with such peace, hope, joy and love of self. It filled them, inspired them and when the lights went out they had to run towards that beacon of hope.
It doesn't matter when you see the star. It doesn't matter when the angels appear. It doesn't matter who you are, where you've been on the journey, this God, can meet you there. And we know this because this story, this story is filled with the ordinary people that we are. This story is filled with characters from every socio economic bracket. This story is filled with all kinds of people and yet the angel comes there. Because, God is with us. Let us run in haste toward the light. Let us bathe in the light and let go of our fear. For the trust in a God who will always be with us, makes the waiting of living richer, deeper, more powerful and hopeful. Hallelujah, the son has come, and we can let go of fear, for this night, in the city of David a word has come to us.
Let us pray.