I recently asked a kindergartener where God was when she was
at school. She told me God was in heaven. I gently reminded her that God was
with her at kindergarten. Then, I asked her, “When you go to McDonald’s, where
is God then?” She caught on, and said, “McDonalds!”
Advent is the season where we prepare our hearts for God to
birth something new in our lives. Advent is also a glorious reminder of
Emmanuel, God is with us. And boy, do we need reminding!
Many of us deal with the messiness of life. Some of us are
walking through Christmas without that loved one at our side. The loss is
painful, and our hearts are empty. Some can hardly participate in Christmas
festivities because the income just won’t stretch that far. The pressure from
the culture to make Christmas be about presents is strong. Some have received
news that just won’t allow any sort of celebration to occur. The weight of
their pain is tremendous.
Yet, even as Mary was told of her upcoming parenthood, there
had to be some uneasiness. Women who were perceived to be caught in the act of
adultery, could face execution by their neighbors and community members
volunteering to pelt them to death with stones. And then there was Joseph, who
might not have taken the news well, even after his vision ensuring him it was right
and good to marry Mary. Joseph, like all of us, have the option to turn away
from God, right?
In some ways, Mary’s scenario was a bit of a mess. Mary
could very well have had moments of despair, concern or doubt even after her
wonderful embrace of being God’s person as she said “yes” to serving God’s
purposes in the world. Even as the birth story moves along, circumstances are
not perfect and God seems to have forgotten to make hotel reservations for the
impending birth.
And yet, it was into this less-than-perfect scenario that
Jesus was born. Jesus arrived right in the middle of the mess. This is one of
the central messages of Christmas. God is right there in the middle of the mess
with us, waiting for us to seek out God’s presence so we can encounter God’s love
for us wherever we are.
What is true about people is that we typically do not seek
out God when life is going well. (I hate that.) We are those needing to embrace
our inability to change circumstances, and cling to the One who will walk with
us through them. May you encounter God right in the middle of whatever mess you
face! Have a blessed Christmas!
