O Holy Night

I love Christmas.  I love the lights and the decorations of Christmas.  I love the music.  I appreciate how people try so hard to be nice for the month surrounding Christmas, almost as if we are subconsciously still trying to stay on the "nice" list.  More than all the glitz and glamour of the season, I love what Christmas means.  The creator of the universe, the One who has always been, the most high and holy being beyond all we can imagine, God, became human.  Not only did God become human, he started at the beginning.  It is totally within the realm of his power to simply show up as a grown man and start performing miracles.  What makes God so amazing, though, is that it wasn't enough to become human; he did the entire human experience from conception.  The Bible says in John that, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." (1:14)  Jesus was fully God, and fully man.  Not one second of the human experience was bypassed.  

I have been blessed to have experienced pregnancy twice, both resulting, gratefully, in healthy children (Mr. M and Little Miss).  I knew I was pregnant right away.  I was nauseous from the word 'go', and my sense of smell was ridiculous.  I was fortunate enough to have been pregnant in the 21st century, so there was no shortage of apps, books, pictures, and blogs dedicated to every second of pregnancy.  I'm pretty sure Mary didn't walk around the market describing the size of unborn baby Jesus using produce.  Andrew even got me a doppler so I could hear the babies' heartbeats.  Week by week, my little babies grew from zygotes, to embryos, to fetuses, to viable humans.  And when it was time, thanks to modern medicine and epidurals, my children made their debuts.  What just boggles my mind is that Jesus underwent the exact same journey to life as my babies did.  Mary, this poor, teenage girl from nowhere, was given the charge of gestating and birthing the Savior of the World.  No pressure.  I think about the anxiety and worry I felt throughout my pregnancies, thinking of all that could go wrong, or the ways in which I was powerless.  I can't imagine what it was like for Mary.  As much as I love and adore my children, I had, you know, regular human babies.  Mary?  She was, you know, having the Son of God.  How does one do natural labor in a stable with farm animals and NOT say some choice words?  But if you are birthing the Son of God, do you dare?  Suffice to say, it's clear that Mary was the correct choice to undergo this experience, and not me.

Jesus Christ lived every second of the human experience.  He went from creating universes to growing limbs and being fed via umbilical cord.  He went through the trauma of birth.  He made the heavens and the earth, but he also had to be burped after his feedings.  I have no doubt Mary praised him for his poop.  Every parent does that.  He learned to walk, talk, write, and read.  He fell down, scraped knees, scared the daylights out of his parents.  He grew to be a man.  He learned a trade, buried a father, cared for his mother, lived as a brother.  It isn't a stretch to think he had illnesses, and accidents during potty training (can you imagine potty training GOD?!).  He probably threw up all over his mom.  Now, yes, Jesus was the only human being who has ever lived or will ever live who never threw a tantrum, screamed until his face was red, faked crocodile tears, or threw toys at his brothers' heads.  I'm very jealous of Mary for that.  However, I'm also quite relieved to be raising my flawed little humans.  Mom guilt is real, and think for just a second about the mom guilt that could be involved when you are responsible for raising GOD'S SON.  Kinda puts the whole organic vs Kraft mac and cheese debate into perspective.

I love Christmas.  Christmas was the start of God's 33-year day-in-the-life of his creation.  Why does it matter that Jesus became man and lived on earth?  Today, it matters deeply to me that Jesus had a blowout diaper as a baby.  It matters that he threw up all over the front of his mother's clothes.  It matters that he had to do the pee-pee dance, and experience discomfort.  It matters that he scraped his knees, kissed his mother, lived with brothers, and walked on two feet.  It matters that he experienced joy and sorrow, life and death.  It matters that he was HERE.  It matters because nothing I'm experiencing today is unique.  I am not going through anything that Jesus did not also experience.  Why did he do it?  Why did he come to this terrestrial sphere and live 33 years in the desert pre- indoor plumbing and air-conditioning?  Because his very creation was dying, and, as any parent knows, you will do ANYTHING to save your child - even give up your own life.  If the Bible is God's love story for mankind, then Christmas is the 80's power ballad right before the climax.

Andrew's favorite Christmas song was "O Holy Night."  He was so deeply moved by the idea that the only response to the birth of Christ is to fall on your knees.  I couldn't listen to it this year.  It always seemed to come on the radio right before I had to get out of my car and actually pretend to be a collected adult.  Tonight, it's the song I'm singing.

"O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from the Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weaknesses no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim."