MorningWalk by Tom Ehrich
Christmas Rhythms December 17, 2010
Familiar Christmas rhythms continued last evening, as youngest son came home from college and our home suddenly filled with his energy.
I remembered his brothers' whirlwind homecomings, and my own, years ago, when I sensed the entire city of Indianapolis watching for the sight of my VW cruising into down.
Next come our middle son and his fiancee, last-minute shopping, tree and music warming our home, Christmas Eve worship across Central Park, and Christmas Day at home.
Details have changed every year, and the setting in 2010 (NYC apartment) is a long way from a farm house in central Indiana. But the heart of it remains family, home, and gratitude.
Every year, I seem to be tired when this final week commences. But I know that the whole of creation was weary when Jesus came, and God was faithful then.
Faith Q & A
Q: Why does the Christian Church concentrate so much on the specifics of Jesus' life, and so little on his message about how to live life?
A: His life was his message. Yes, he also taught, told parables, left a few sayings. But his compassion on the hungry and his act of feeding said as much as any teaching. His silence before his accusers was beyond words. He went -- to the wilderness, around the countryside, across borders, and into danger -- and that became his message to us. You go, too, you go to the hard places, you go to suffering, you go to outcasts, you go to the seat of power. He said nothing about creating an institution, formulating dogma, crafting liturgies, developing hierarchies of power. That was our doing. What Jesus did -- the specifics of his life -- would change the world if we dared to emulate them.
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