Isaiah 9: 2-7 Titus 2: 11-14 Luke 2: 1-20
Grace and peace to you from Emmanuel, God with us. Amen.
In the library of Trinity Lutheran Seminary there is a bronze statue, about 3 feet high, of Martin Luther, the reluctant founder of, not only the Lutheran church, but also the Protestant revolution. If the statue is an accurate rendition, he was a sour looking man. Tradition has it that Brother Martin is dressed up for a variety of occasions, kind of like the figures of Waiting on the Interurban in Fremont. He has been seen in Easter bunny ears and with Hawaiian leis, with Halloween masks and turkey feathers. It is also tradition that this statue participates in the commencement procession, carried by the person who would follow him, alphabetically in the procession. At my commencement my last name was Martin. Luther. Martin. L. M. I had to pull him in a wagon.
One year the Episcopal students at the seminary kidnapped this statue, which would have been no small thing considering how heavy he was. The statue made its way to various venues in and around Columbus Ohio and anonymous letters with photos were always sent to the seminary, chronicling Martin’s adventures. There he was, at the Horseshoe, where The Ohio State Buckeyes play football, at the airport, trying to buy a ticket back to Germany, at the mall shopping for new clothes.
Recently, on the radio, I heard that a group of college students did the same thing with a baby Jesus they swiped from an outdoor nativity display. Soon enough, photos of the infant Savior were surfacing on grand adventures. There he was. At fraternity parties. At college football games. In all of his innocent glory. On the Appalachain trail. Even sleeping soundly in a tent. This baby Jesus was on the move.
I was not terribly surprised, then, when I received an email this week, forwarded from one of our parishioners, advertising a service that would put a GPS transponder in your Baby Jesus, just in case anyone thought about swiping him from the lawn. From the web site of Brick House Security: “Nothing crushes the holiday spirit faster than a nativity scene that’s been robbed of its feature attraction. Unfortunately, vandals, thieves and heretics tend to prey with Grinch-like intensity on the displays. Baby Jesus is the most popular target. The Spark Nano’s Geo-Fencing feature means that if Baby Jesus embarks on an unauthorized journey from his manger, the device immediately sends a text or email to the owner’s mobile phone or computer. The owner (or police) can then automatically track the figure’s movement wherever it goes.”[1]
Brick House Security is providing these GPS transponders free of charge, including shipping, to churches and other non-profits, who do not wish to have Baby Jesus leave the premises unauthorized.
It seems to me, though, that the message of Christmas is exactly this: that Jesus, born into a stable to an unwed mother and her faithful fiancé, Joseph, should leave the premises…must leave the premises.
It is very tempting for us, especially for those of us whose lives are closely entwined with our congregations, to think that this is the very best place for Jesus. This holy space. But the Psalmist writes that the earth is the Lord’s and if this is true then Jesus does not belong on our front lawns. Instead he belongs in the hard places. He belongs in the unemployment line. He belongs in the hospital room. He belongs in the conference room. He belongs in the lunchroom. He belongs at the graveside. He belongs at the protest. He belongs in the prison cell. He belongs at the cradle. And yes, he belongs at the frat house and in the tent. And he doesn’t belong there as some sort of magical genie that we call on when we are in a tight spot. Instead Jesus is there to remind us that in both his humble beginnings and in the sufferings of his life and death, he walks with us. He accompanies us through the difficult spaces and places of our lives. And he walks with us in joy and delight as well.
I can appreciate the frustration of those folks whose Baby Jesus’ were stolen from the yard. But it does make me wonder what the thieves were thinking when they took him. Brick House Security says that: “Thrill-seekers inclined to take Baby Jesus or other holiday icons for a joy ride change their minds very quickly when they know local law enforcement agents can pinpoint their location seconds after the crime is committed.”[2] But I have to wonder if they are really thrill seekers. Maybe, just maybe, those who are sneaking onto the lawns of churches to swipe Jesus are just looking for him. Maybe it seems to them that he is hard to find in the bad news and the discouraging struggles of these days.
And so perhaps, what they are searching for, is literally Jesus.
And perhaps, it is up to us to help them find him.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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