Christmas Eve

At a Christmas Eve Service December 24 2009


I sit with family, thinking of all those I’m fortunate to love.

Our stories braiding -- one common cord with many strands:

Our love, our losses, the tears that wet our cheeks,

The thrill of recognition as our gazes merge,

The unease that rises from the nervous little place down deep within,

Frustrations that we think unique but everybody shares.

Hearts open as we share these moments gathered by the creche.

We lift our hearts together as our voices blend –

And strands of harmonizing beauty

Weave us all together with a touch, a hug, a song, a smile --

And moments shared.


Reflection:

Christmas eve night somehow seems silent, deep, and holy. Even when the weather’s balmy and the ground is dry and clear – no snow -- I always have a sense that something sacred is happening. I’m sure it derives from the gift of life, the focus of the Christmas story. A life began, ages ago, and a variety of creatures representing all of us gave thanks. With them, we come together at Christmas, glorifying divine Love in collective appreciation that approaches sublimity. Indeed, sharing universal love with all creation is a good definition of Heaven -- of bliss. On this night each year, we are offered the gift of simply being, in the light – of sampling the joy of angels, joined with those we love, whether they are still embodied or have moved into spirit. It’s a very special moment.


Who Am I this Year?

The Christmas story that I’ve heard and loved for seven decades

Invites me, yearly: choose my role, decide who to play,

Join in the Christmas Pageant.

Will I be a wise soul, a traveler from afar,

Maybe an angel, or a shepherd – or perhaps a sheep or donkey?

Were there sheepdogs there, in those days?

Did any village children peek between the boards that walled the shed

And wonder at the light and warmth within?

Did the innkeep’s wife bring out a crock of soup to share,

To keep the strangers warm?

This year, I think that I'm a widow woman from the next town over,

Suddenly between homes, wandering around to find a place of comfort.

I see the light and love that pour forth from the stable,

And pause to ground my soul before going on the road again,

Strengthened and inspired, seeking my next place in life

And knowing that it must be built on love.