Homily for Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24,2017
The Living Nativity.
Readings:
Isaiah 9, 1-6, The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown. (Wow! Beautiful)
Psalm, 96, Today is born our savior, Christ the Lord.
Titus 2, 10-11, The grace of God has appeared.
Luke 2, 1-14, The Nativity story. (Lovely)
What do we have here? A donkey, a giraffe, an Addie?
Isaiah observations:
This is Isaiah 1, a beautiful, hope filled piece.
Ever see a prettier Mary? Hi, CC.
The Daily Nativities bringing Peace, Joy, & Gratitude
I would like to talk a few minutes this evening about celebrating the Nativity. We do this once a year. I propose that we can celebrate the Nativity, not once a year, but everyday. The Nativity is an event that gives me peace and joy and a sense of gratitude. These nativities happen daily.
Hey, who let this character in? Got a gift for me Santa?
Two examples.
There is a little widow lady named Joyce who lives right across the street from Rosemary & me. She is on the southeast corner of Tulip Lane & Camellia. We are on the northeast corner.
Joyce is 89 years old and Aviana & I visit her every morning. In fact, we give her our newspaper after we have read it.
Has Santa run out of presents? No way!
A week ago Joyce walked over to The Tom Thumb on the corner of Preston & Royal, a ten minute walk from our corner. After buying bread and crossing over Preston at the light, Joyce was crossing Royal at Camellia. As she walks to the median, she steps into a pile of leaves thinking it was flat.
Nope, it was the curb and Joyce falls face down on the cement of the median. She gets right up and is bleeding all over herself from where her sunglasses had cut around her left eye. Not the eye itself, but her face.
Thanks, Emma, for doing your Candle Magic again.
At this point Joyce says all these people literally stopped their cars and ran to her. Some wanted to call an ambulance for her. Others offered to drive her home. “No,” she said, “I am okay and only live right there,” and she points to her house.
One guy, however, puts his arm around her waist and offers to walk her home. She accepts and gets home.
"All I want for Christmas? Yes," says Vivian, my front tooth." And Viki, her mom agrees
Want to know what really touched her? Yes, all the people who ran to help her, leaving their cars right there on extremely busy Royal Lane.
Those people were a Nativity event for Joyce. And guess what. She has great peace, joy, and gratitude.
The Team, Georgie & Buddy, Leo & Mike.
The second example of a nativity happened to me Thursday. I went to the main Dallas recycle dump on Harry Hines & Webb Chapel. I get on the ramp and start unloading empty paint cans, old phones, and stuff that had accumulated for a year or more.
Coming up and helping me was a tall, old black guy, probably older even than I am. I’m thinking this guy should be retired and at home with his grandkids. I take the stuff out of the van, he takes it and puts it in the correct container. I am most touched.
And the Rest of The Team.
I wish him Happy Christmas and I start to get into the van. “He deserves a tip,” I think and look into my bill fold. 5 bucks, maybe. No luck. No fives, no tens even. Only a 20. “Rosemary is going to kill me,” So I walk over and shake his hand, the 20 in the shake.
He, of course, tells me how I do not need to do this a bunch of times. But finally he is all gratitude. I get into the van quickly so he won’t see my tears.
Jack & his sister Sophia, who dances, like to all the music their dad (Ben) is playing.
A daily nativity event. I gave him a 20. I took from him peace, joy, and gratitude.
Where is the Nativity Event in your life this season?
Merry Christmas, Carrie. Merry Christmas, Paul.
