God promises a revolution. Are we up for it?
Luke’s description of Jesus’s birth is iconic. We hear it every year on Christmas Eve in church or in the Charlie Brown Christmas special. Or both!
Being iconic, though, breeds familiarity. We know the story. And we often come to church for comfort, joy, and, well, familiarity.
So what do we do with the revolution? The revolution Mary sings about in the magnificat and the revolution the angels offer the shepherds?
The usual answer is some combination of metaphor and theology. Jesus saves the world so that we can believe, go to church, and be good people. In other words, salvation as a deeply personal experience and also not in the least bit material.
The promise in the story, however, feels utterly opposite that reading. The shepherds aren’t moved to go see the Messiah thinking belief will make them feel good. They’re told God is going to transform their lives. And /that/ moves them.
At Christmas time, when we’re drawn to family, nostalgia, and gift-giving, do we dare encounter the revolution promised the world in the birth of Jesus? And if we don’t, are we even showing faith to the gospel?