It's Thursday,
the third week of Advent and as I read this morning, I found myself thinking of the difference between the world as we see it, or as it is presented to us each day, and the world that God is at work in.
Remember the
story as Luke's Gospel unfolds it?
Luke 2:1-7
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
The world
around us is loud, boisterous, full of bombastic powerful people: Some are
Politicians, some are stars, some are athletes.
It is always on the edge of drama…
·
Armies at war
·
Disease
·
Disasters
We
are surrounded and reminded every day that things are terrible and only going
to get worse unless we, or somebody powerful, a leader, comes and does
something about it.
I can
imagine on THAT day...THAT day that Mary, Joseph had to resort to a manger
stall because the inn was full...THAT day where Bethlehem was filled with
visitors who had come back because of Caesar's Tax/Census decree...THAT day the
conversations were filled with lots of talk about the powerful, the rich, the
important, the noticed...
BUT
On THAT day
- as in every day that has ever been - a baby was born. Babies being born are
usually certainly loud, but humble. The miracle of birth has made me cry
several times.
Jesus
came without fanfare
Not
in a Palace
Not
in acclaim
Not
to the rich and powerful
But to a
young woman, her faithful husband, AND
The World of
the rich, powerful, famous...knew nothing about it.
That seems
to be God's way - to take the humble, the not-so-loud, the serving and willing
heart people and quietly, but certainly, keep building His Kingdom.
Would love
to have you be part of that.
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