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The Christmas Window Trinity Presbyterian Church, Dallas |
One constant in each nativity scene is the central position of the figure of the baby Jesus placed in a crèche or crib. Beyond the historical centrality of the baby in the scene, artisans must place the name of their country of origin somewhere on the work in question in order to meet international trade guidelines. Almost always, they select the backside of the baby and crèche for this commercial purpose. In addition, vendors almost always place the price tag on the backside of baby Jesus. The rest of a typical nativity scene will include – at a minimum – Mary and Joseph and – at the maximum – a variety of shepherds and their animals, angels, and even the three wise men from the east.
What makes nativities interesting for me is the diversity of ways in which folk artisans from different places around the world integrate their own cultures into the scenes. Not only the raw materials used for constructing the nativities, but even the styles of dress on the figures in the scenes reflect the artisans’ places of origin. As a result, with just a little practice, you can distinguish Guatemalan, Peruvian, or Mexican nativities, not to mention those from Bangladesh, China, or Kenya. Some folk artists have become famous for their work; their one-of-a-kind, hand-signed pieces are highly valued by collectors.
Just out of curiosity, how many of you have at least one nativity in your home? [raise your hand] How many have ten or more? How many of you know someone who manifests a serious addiction to collecting nativities? For some of us, we need to adapt the Twelve-Step program of A.A. into a Twelve-Days of Christmas program under the rubric of the N.C.A.A. – Nativity Collectors Anonymous of America. Just as casinos have notices offering counseling through toll-free "1-800" phone numbers for those with gambling addictions, stores selling folk art and Christmas-related goods should be required to post similar notices for those with nativity addictions.
Frankly, no one knows how many Americans collect nativities, but there is no doubt that – in recent years – nativities have become an integral part of Christmas celebrations. For example, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. is displaying nativities from around the world – for the sixteenth year in a row. The Dallas Arboretum attracts thousands of Christmas time visitors to the DeGolyer House when they fill it with nativities. And many churches – including the First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville and the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in North Dallas – offer "living nativities" intended to inspire their neighbors as they drive by. In sum, nativities have become a significant source of income for folk artisans and their families in many countries around the world and have become an important part of the multi-billion dollar global Christmas industry.
In the process, nativities and other representations of the holy family are no longer produced only by members of Christian communities. In this era of globalization, thousands of non-Christian artisans and distributors are engaged in the nativity business. Wal*Mart places orders for hundreds of thousands of nativities mass-produced in China, while SERRV and similar non-profit, fair-trade organizations sell mere thousands of hand-crafted nativities at the biennial General Assembly of the PC(USA), at the annual gatherings of other denominations, and through the SERVV and other web sites
So, let us ask the obvious question, "What is the connection between nativities – as objects of mass consumption in the modern world – and the story of the original nativity as witnessed to by the Gospels?"
This morning’s text provides us with the first part of an answer to this question. Here, in the first chapter of Luke – after the dedication to Theophilus and the foretelling of the birth of John the Baptist – the birth of Jesus is foretold.
Although the story is presented in a straightforward manner, its significance is so great that theologians and preachers have examined in great detail every nuance of meaning in every word, as they try to reach through the text into the mind of Mary and into the very being of God – as represented by the Son who will be named Jesus, meaning "The Lord saves."
First of all, this section of Luke’s text, running from verse 26 through verse 38, provides an annunciation of the birth of Jesus, the one whom the angel Gabriel proclaims "will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end (v. 32)."
But the text also may be interpreted as a narrative of "calling," with parallels to the calling of prophets in the Old Testament. When we hear Mary declare, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (v. 38), it is hard not to hear the voices of prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah. Reading the text as a "calling" shifts our attention away from the baby Jesus and toward the figure of Mary, and to an appreciation of her sense of duty and obedience to the Lord. It is no surprise that those who are devoted to Mary, especially within the Roman Catholic tradition, emphasize the "calling" as well as the "annunciation" elements of this text.
Annunciation and calling are merged in the miracle of nativity – the birth of a child to a young woman who proclaims to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin – that is, I know not a man" (evpei a;ndra ouv ginw,skw) [épei ándra oú ginósko]. In two other places earlier in the text, the gospel writer actually had described Mary as a "virgin" (parqe,non) [parthénon], a term understood to emphasize her youth and the sacred quality of the baby’s conception.
Beyond the annunciation and the calling, even beyond the nativity, Christians see much more in the images associated with the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and their animals, the angels, and the wise men. In the simplicity and humbleness of the nativity scene, we can see the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry. Even as a newborn child, he attracted the attention of the rich and the poor. People from close at hand and from distant lands came to pay him homage. The stars in the heavens pointed to his place of birth – an ordinary stable in David’s Bethlehem.
This is the message of the Christmas window in the northeast corner of our sanctuary – a photo of which has been placed in your bulletin, and which you may take away as a reminder of your time with us on this Fourth Sunday in Advent. Join with me in looking at the elements included in this stained-glass representation of the nativity of our Lord.
First, in the upper section of the window, you can see that the main structure represented is a stylized stable, through which the star shines its light upon the crèche filled with straw. But there is no baby Jesus in the crib – nor do we see Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and their animals, or the angels or other visitors. Instead, the artist has placed in the crib the ancient Greek letters chi and rho – the first two letters of Christ’s name in Greek – and one of the most often used symbols for our Lord.
The bottom part of the window contains a lamp burning brightly and a citation to the Gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 12 – where Jesus proclaimed, "I am the light of the world."
Thus, the artist joins the proclamation of Jesus’ ministry to the image of the stable and the crèche. And doesn’t it seem right and proper that the celebration of nativity also should be a celebration of ministry? Placing the chi rho symbol in the crèche reminds us that the nativity is not just about annunciation and calling; it is about ministry to all humanity, to the rich and to the poor, to those who are our neighbors here in this place and to those who live in distant lands. Ultimately, it is about witnessing to the reality that Jesus Christ is "the light of the world."
In contemplating Christmas through the nativity, the artist of this wonderful window emphasizes that we are not just remembering the miracle of the virgin birth or paying homage to the baby Jesus. Instead, we are witnessing the beginnings of God’s ministry in this world through Jesus the Christ.
To be seen from inside the sanctuary, this and the other stained-glass windows require light from the outside. To be seen beyond this sanctuary, our congregation requires the light that Jesus promises to the world. So, let us open our hearts and minds to the light and let this stained-glass window proclaim that here at Trinity Presbyterian Church – more than 2,000 years after the first nativity – we still are seeing Christ in the crèche.
Praise be to the Lord. Amen.