Peering In

Have you ever noticed the unique and dramatic pose of some of the figures in the Nativity scene?

Growing up, my parents had a traditional Nativity that they got when there were married in 1963. I have no doubt that every Catholic household until the 90’s had this same set. But then in more recent decades we saw more stylized sets being produced. The robes on the figurines were often more ornate, and their poses became a bit more dramatic. Rather than the soft gaze of years gone by, the pose of the figures became more dramatic, and frequently rather than a soft gaze toward the crib, they had more of a peering look: necks extended, and heads sort of bent.

I think there’s something worth pondering there as we enter these holy days of Christmas.

In a world of so much confusion, noise, and division, it’s no surprise that our “go to” is not a soft prayerful pose, but rather something more tense, and curious. After all, how many of us approach the crib of the newborn Jesus this year peering in from more of a distance?

We all know the value of peering…of looking eagerly from a distance. If you are a gym goer then you likely have had the experience of being at the gym and taking note of someone else in the facility. You may pause your own workout to look from a distance at the person’s form, making note of how they are executing an exercise that maybe you struggle with. Or maybe you are looking at their weight, and wondering why they can lift so much more then you, when they don’t look much bigger.

Or maybe you’re a person in recovery and you’ve had the experience of sitting in the back row at an AA Meeting…or maybe even standing against the back wall. From your “safe distance” you sort of peer into the meeting. You listen to what everyone says about how their lives have changed, but you also watch with marked attention to see if their actions reflect their words. Maybe you’ve done the same thing in Church, at a work meeting, or even in your peer group.

All of us, at various times in our lives have “peered in” somewhere. Maybe the lift was too heavy, the promises too lofty, the conversation to painful, or the words too questionable. We want to be a part…we want to learn…we want to change…but first we want to see if the leader/teacher is “the real deal.”

The hard truths of our culture have hardened our hearts, and often times something may seem too good to be true. However the 2,000 year message of Christmas is one in which we can put all of our hope! Very truly this child who we celebrate is our eternal God in the flesh, who has emptied himself of the glory of heaven, and broken through the silence and cold of Christmas midnight, to become one of us. Now our God has cried like us, loved like us, and suffered like us. He has been betrayed, mistreated, and heartbroken. He has laughed, celebrated, danced, and pursued friendship. All of these things he has done so that we do not need to peer! We don’t need to hug the shadows and look with curiosity and trepidation from the shadows! The newborn savior calls us to his crib, to ponder the wonder of his love, and the truth of the incarnation.

This Christmas Season, draw near to the newborn king!