The first Christmas
There is a unifying spirit that happens at Christmas unlike any other time of year. No matter where I’ve travelled the Christmas spirit is something that the world seeks to adopt and emulate, almost like a child wearing her mother’s high heels around the room. From the creches on just about every corner in Brazil to the dancing Santas in Egypt, everyone seems to try on their mother’s heels. Certainly the child has no clue that being an adult requires more than wearing over-sized shoes around the house. But yet the imitation is such sweet flattery, even a teachable moment that often falls to the ground.
Lest we forget, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Redeemer. It’s the moment in history that changed everything. When God touched the earth in a most high-stakes and all-inclusive way. I am reminded of the third station of the cross:
(Bible passages and meditations from Julian of Norwich, selected by the Poor Clare Sisters at Ty Mam Duw, Wales, XIV Revelation, Ch 51)
When Adam fell, God’s Son fell, as God’s Son chose not to be parted from Adam. For Adam signifies to my understanding Everyman. Adam fell from life to death, into the vale of this wretched world and after that into hell; God’s Son fell, with Adam, into the vale of the Maiden’s womb, who was the fairest daughter of Adam; and for this end: to excuse Adam from blame in heaven and on earth.
