It was the middle of the night and quite cool in my daughter’s room, as it was winter, and the wind blew on that side of the house. She was a newborn and hadn’t began sleeping through the night. I sat there with her in the rocking chair that her grandmother used to rock her father in.
To help keep out the damp air, I wrapped ourselves in a shawl that was crocheted by my mother for such occasions. It was just the two of us rocking back and forth. The only light was from a glimmering night light in the far corner.
The room was quiet. I had never experienced this kind of silence. It wasn’t a sound but, a feeling…peace.
I remember wondering, “How could I be in this peaceful bubble, when I was so tired?”. Although I desperately wanted to go back to sleep, with the same amount of desperation I wanted to stay in this moment. There were no thoughts of “what’s next?”, “what to do” or “how do we?” No thoughts of the next day’s to-do lists, or regrets of lost moments from the past. Just us, rocking back and forth.
Every time Advent comes upon us and preparations for Christmas begin, I remind myself about that time in the rocking chair.
It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, in the preparations and expectations of the holiday seasons.
I often wonder what Mary felt like when coddling her new born babe.
Was she anxious about being in a barn? Were her expectations not met? Did she feel disappointed because this wasn’t what she thought the birth of her child was going to be like?
The journey Mary had been on, since the day she found out she was going to be Jesus’ mother, was anything but what she most likely had ever expected.
We must remember that as lovely and romantic we think the Christmas story is, it is also a story of danger and precariousness.
Mary: Meek and Mild
In Luke 1:26-38, we read of when the angel Gabriel approached Mary to tell her she was the “favoured one” of God and chosen to be Jesus’s mother. In my Sunday school lessons, Mary was always portrayed as timid, obedient and almost docile.
For the majority of the passage, Gabriel informs Mary of what’s going to happen. And Mary’s only responses are “how can this be for I am a virgin?” and “here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
I think there would have been a bit more protest. For Mary to accept what Gabriel was proposing, she was not just putting her reputation on the line, but her whole livelihood. To be pregnant out of wedlock at that time would likely result in her arranged marriage being dissolved. Mary could have been kicked out of her house and – even worse – been put to death.
In the scriptures, when we see God calling on men, there is usually some form of dialogue, even refusals. Yet, Mary, so willingly, just said yes? There is way more to the story here. Don’t be fooled. Mary did not just lie down. Mary possessed great power in this moment. She could have very easily said no to God. By saying yes, Mary made a decision after which she not only had to have great courage, but she also had to be smart – and even cunning – to be able to convince her parents to help her in this situation.
Elizabeth and Mary: Bump Buddies
In Luke 1:39-56 we read the story of how Mary visited Elizabeth. This passage is always portrayed warmly as two cousins find out they are pregnant at the same time. How great is that? Yey, bump buddies! The kids can play together and grow up together. How very exciting! Though, in actuality Mary was probably sent to Elizabeth and Zachariah to hide. This would have given time for the families of Mary and Joseph to talk without putting Mary in immediate harm.
Joseph: Step Dad Extraordinaire
I never really gave much thought to Joseph within the Christmas story. At first my impressions were, ahh what a great guy, or what guy would do that – dream or no dream from Gabriel. When Joseph says yes to accept Mary, there was no turning back. He would have to ensure there were no suspicions about Mary. Not only that, I am sure Joseph didn’t expect to become a refugee and flee to Egypt knowing King Herod was after Jesus.
Each year many of us get wound up in the preparations and expectations of Christmas. I don’t think that Mary and Joseph expected all they had to go through. What challenges they would face to bring Jesus into the world. Joseph didn’t expect to have a pregnant wife. Mary didn’t expect to be travelling (according to google maps) 30 hours by foot while pregnant. Neither of them expected to be giving birth in a barn.
When we strip away all the expectations of Christmas, we are simply left with what is. A family, in one form or another. Together with no thoughts of “what’s next?” or “how do we?”. No thoughts of the next day’s to-do lists, or regrets of lost moments from the past or words spoken. Just Mary, Joseph and the baby rocking back and forth, in that moment of peace, joy, hope, love and light.
