Natalie Sleeth's classic Christmas anthem asks the question, "Were you there on that
first Christmas night?" Since that piece became the cornerstone for this Christmas
work, I've thought a great deal about the question. Obviously, time and location
remove any of us from actually being present on the night of Christ's birth. Yet, in the
mystery of God's holy ways, all of us in a sense were there.
God chose ordinary people, Joseph and Mary, as the vessels for fulfilling the
incarnation plan – God becoming human. God also chose to reveal the fulfillment of
that plan after Christ's birth to shepherds (the most common of people) and to Magi
(sophisticated and educated individuals). One can only speculate about the fullest
meaning of that strategy, but I believe it was to convey to us that the Messiah was a
gift for all
people, regardless of where we reside on the socio-economic scale. And I
believe that the inclusion of Joseph and Mary in such a significant role underscores
the importance that each of us have as vehicles for sharing the message of Christ's
birth to our world.
I think the answer to Natalie Sleeth's question is, "Yes, I was there." And so were
you! The eternal and timeless nature of God places us in Bethlehem on that Christmas
night as we experience anew its joy through the eyes of children, aged saints, enduring
carols, and holy scripture: Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who
is Christ the Lord.
– Lloyd Larson
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