The nativity and the church’s witness
By Andrew Symes. Church of England Newspaper.
“I don’t get Christmas”, a born again, Spirit-filled friend confided to me last week. And could that be a secret feeling among many evangelicals? How many sermons actually make fun of, or moan about, the festive season with its commercialism and false bonhomie; how many evangelistic addresses at Carol Services have told audiences to quickly shift their gaze from the stable to the cross? And yet perhaps more than ever, today we need to regain confidence in the power of the nativity story to engage the culture with Gospel truth.
For some time now we’ve known that schools and community organizations have replaced the traditional Christmas scene with pageants featuring elves, celebrities, footballers and Santa. Surveys repeatedly show a growing ignorance about the nativity. In a recent light hearted discussion on the radio, actors reminisced about their first dramatic roles, relishing the opportunity to play Mary or Joseph as a young child, as opposed to a wordless shepherd or donkey. But how many children today have never seen a nativity, let alone acted in one? Does it matter? If we don’t “get Christmas”, and take the un-Anglican view that the Church is only responsible for the religious education of those who attend and the ‘fringe’, then perhaps widespread ignorance of the nativity will not worry us unduly. But for those who believe the Christian message is for the public square, here are some powerful counter-cultural messages from the Christmas narrative which can build faith and be part of Gospel witness to the nation.
Mary is rightly given a central role in the story. Christmas reminds us that God became small, as small as a tiny fertilised egg in Mary’s womb – for us! The incarnation shows us how much God values his creation and the lengths he was prepared to go, to come and rescue it. But while what Mary was told by the angel was certainly unique, the way she responded is a great example of how an ordinary person should live in the light of the supernatural Good News of Jesus. And also what happened to her is a picture of the Christian life for all of us.
For the only time in history, a baby was created with only one human being involved. It points to the way that spiritual life is created. Many are still under the impression that getting right with God is about what we do, but here we’re reminded of something God does in us – the miracle of new birth. So what happened in Mary literally and physically is a picture of what happens in all Christians spiritually through faith – God miraculously starts living in those who believe, not because of anything we have done, but because we have heard God speaking to us and saying “I want to be with you and in you” and we respond like Mary “I don’t really understand why or how, but OK, please do”.
The next thing we get from Mary’s example is that she carries her Son, shelters and nurtures him like any mother does with her baby – and this gives great joy but also is tough for her as well. The physical demands of childbirth were compounded by the suspicion and disapproval from the community because of the premarital pregnancy. Mary was given the task of physically carrying Christ in her womb, and then caring for him after his birth. We too if we are Christians, if we have experienced that miracle of God doing something new in us, carry Christ. We are all “Christophers”. We bear treasure in jars of clay. So if Christ is in us, like Mary we will experience great joy as we carry the light of the world, but also will suffer as we bear the burden of sorrow at our own sin, and as others look, we bear as a witness the reproach of the world whose attitude is indifference or hatred.
Lastly, the nativity scene features a family. A recent report about self-harming among teenage boys featured an interview with a fifteen year old who freely admitted that the main reason for his rage and low self esteem is the absence of his father since birth. His own father failed to take responsibility for his biological son, while Joseph took responsibility for Jesus, and brought him up to appreciate his culture and family history so he knew who he was. Despite overwhelming evidence about the importance of a mother and father in a stable relationship for a child’s healthy development, government and many Christians seem timid about promoting marriage and family. The nativity stands as an icon of and vision for an important aspect of human flourishing, not to be worshipped, but confidently commended to disciples and to society outside church.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
