By Ed Horstmann
Yes.
The Christmas story is a bundle of stories. For the whole drama to work it required the willingness of each character to step out into the unknown. When Mary heard the news from the angel Gabriel that she was to be the mother of a child whose healing influence would have a global impact, she said, “Let it be to me according to thy word.” In other words, yes! All the other characters in the drama of that first Christmas—Joseph, the shepherds, the Magi, maybe even the angels themselves—had to offer up their own version of Yes in order for the divine plans to become a reality. Whether they said Yes while their knees shook, or while full of doubt, or with their fingers crossed behind their backs, it does not matter; they all said Yes.
There are times in life when we are interrupted by the unexpected, and it is easy to say Yes to the intrusion. When I was a student in seminary, studying for the ministry, I received a call one day from the pastor who served my home church in Bennington, Vermont. After he identified himself, he asked me if I was sitting down. I wasn’t, but just to be on the safe side, I sat down. He proceeded to share with me the astonishing news that an anonymous donor in the congregation had decided to cover all my educational expenses, thus allowing me to graduate from seminary without a shred of debt. I was stunned by this totally unexpected piece of fantastic news. And I had no problem saying Yes to the offer!
But there are times when intruders enter our lives in ways that are unwelcome and unwanted. Through a routine medical exam not long after her retirement, my mother discovered that she was living with a disease that required immediate treatment. Without a prompt surgical response, her future was in jeopardy. In one sense, it was a blessing to have discovered the problem. But even though my mother had worked as a nurse for nearly four decades and understood the risks of not responding to the discovery, she was initially resistant to the necessity of treatment. To help her with the decision, my sister and I met with my mother and her physician. In rather stark terms, the doctor laid out the options, and then spoke directly to my mother. “You are a nurse, Norma. And, you understand,” he said, “what is likely to happen if you do not act now.” My mother took this in, and considered his words for a few moments. And then she said, “Let’s schedule the surgery.” That was her Yes, and thanks to a timely medical intervention, she lived a full life for many more years.
I see the Bible as the story of men and women who were confronted, challenged, and embraced by the Yes of God in ways designed to evoke their Yes to greater love, liberty, compassion and peace. That response of Mary to the message of the angel Gabriel—“Let it be to me according to thy word”—is one particularly beautiful expression of cooperation with the movement of God in human life. Churches celebrate her Yes with Christmas pageants, soaring choral music, and dramatic readings. But the best way to honor her willing collaboration with God is to turn down the control dials of our own lives, and let the Spirit in. Then perhaps an angel can find a path to our innermost lives, and invite us to follow the Spirit wherever it may lead.
I think of Dag Hammarskjöld as a person who made himself available to this kind of mysterious encounter. In 1953, he became Secretary General of the United Nations, which was a culmination of his lifelong commitment to public service. And, for him, that dedication all started with a moment of affirmation. In his journal, published after his death as the book, Markings, he offered this testimony: “I don’t know Who—or what—put the question, I don’t know when it was put. I don’t even remember answering. But at some moment I did answer Yes to Someone—or Something—and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life, in self-surrender, had a goal.”
Christmas breaks out in the world and in our lives whenever we say Yes to the greater claims of faith, hope, and love. When we make room for forgiveness, for kindness, for wholehearted advocacy for the disenfranchised—in these moments, and so many more, we bring the defiant Yes of Christmas into the crowded inn of our lives. So while I pray that this season will be merry, and that our giving and sharing of gifts may offer much pleasure, my deepest hope is that we will be ready to say Yes whenever God invites us into the drama of love. Those are the truest moments of Christmas, and, thank God, they can happen at any time of the year.
The Rev. Dr. Edward Horstmann is Senior Pastor at Round Hill Community Church.
