Christmas (John 1:1-14)

That “the Word became flesh” or “God became human” is the essential message of the incarnation. It is as simple as the wordplay between Christmas and Christmask during this pandemic crisis! But how we experience and understand the mystery of the incarnation is not that simple. So we begin with this fundamental question to ponder on the mystery of God becoming human: “Is Christmas merely about celebrating the birth of Jesus or experiencing the revelation of God transcendently and immanently indwelling in our humanity?” The latter it is. 

The baby Jesus in a manger surrounded by Joseph and Mary may be the most commonly commercialized image during the Christmas season. Yet, we do not want to romanticize it. Instead, we want to be realistic and consider Joseph and Mary’s struggles and suffering. There’s not much difference between the Holy Family and children and parents detained at or near the U.S. southern border in terms of its brutality. Imagine Mary’s physical pain from contractions, the emotional pain of fear and anxiety for herself and the baby, and the spiritual pain of abandonment she might have. There’s no medical help. No one welcomes this pregnant girl into their houses. It’s a cold, cruel world that she faced. What about Joseph who probably feels so helpless and useless for not being able to find a decent place where his wife can safely give birth but a stable? If we put this challenging and scary situation of Mary and Joseph in a hallmark card of the Holy Family, it wouldn’t sell at all. 

This rather pessimistic, sad, and gloomy situation, however, is when and where God is revealed. As we can’t see the beauty of Christmas tree lights in daylight but only at night, the nativity scene symbolizes dark moments we encounter in our lives. This does not mean that God can only be seen in dark times but is ever present even in the darkest times where we feel like God is absent or abandoning us. God was and is still present at the stable where Mary gives birth to Jesus. God was and is still found in the manger where Jesus is laid. God reveals God’s eternal union with us in the most unexpected and unimaginable times and places. 

This then brings us from the manger of Jesus to the cross on which he cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This cry of Jesus is not the proof of God forsaking him but Jesus forsaking the image of a god who is somewhere out there like a bystander. On the cross, Jesus experiences the everlasting presence of God who gives him strength and courage to fulfill the promise of God for the entire humanity. Don’t look for God outside but in you. The very humanness that we all share universally is God’s presence embodied in each one of us. This God in us, us in God, the eternal union of God with humanity, this oneness is what Christ reveals to the world and what we’re called to experience. This is what we celebrate with joy and gratitude during this Christmastide. 

When God is experienced and seen in the darkness, all the curveballs life throws at us become manageable and bearable. Rather than asking “why curveballs!?” God becomes a bat with which we can swing or a glove that we turn into a catch ball. The mystery of the incarnation defeats all the images that God is far from us. Perhaps our spiritual dullness numbs our experience with the very presence of God in us, yet the good news is that God’s presence does not disappear even if we are completely unaware of it. 

In my spiritual life, I usually don’t start my prayer by saying the word God. I rarely talk. I speak the language of silence. It’s like you’re having such an intimate and deep conversation with someone you wholeheartedly trust. During that dialogue, there’s no need to call each other’s name to draw attention from each other. You and your beloved are lovingly gazing at each other. What about those odd moments, the sounds of singing birds or looking at the snow gently falling on trees somehow stop you from thoughts and feelings, easing your busy mind? God’s long loving look on you is felt within and without in your deep connection with others or nature. When words are gone, meaning when our words become divine as the Word becomes human, God is in you and you are in God. 

St John the Baptist experiences the Light within and without himself and comes as a witness to testify to the Light. The Light brightens where it is dark, gives warmth to a cold world, remembers what’s forgotten and ignored, and exposes what’s hidden and buried in the world. Like John, we too bring this Light to the world and live it out. Our baptism becomes the sign of the Light and our partaking of the Eucharist provides us the fuel to carry out the mission of God. On this Christmas Day, we merrily remind ourselves to commit to the life of the Light. 

Christ is born to the world. Merry Christmas!