December 25, 2008 Sermon
This page is offered for those unable to attend the service or who would like more time to study the message.
Christmas Day - Year B
Isaiah 52:7-10, Hebrews 1;1-2, John :1-14 December 25, 2008
Gary Sanford San Angelo
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Amen Psalm 19:14
"Penny for the cup? Spare change mister? A dollar for a cup of coffee?"
The bum sat up against a frigid wall between towering buildings.
"You aren't going to give him anything, are you? You know he'll just spend it on booze."
A wife with frosted hair tugged on her husband's arm as he reached into his cashmere pocket for a dollar.
"Now you don't know that."
"Look at him." Her gloved hand went up to her nose. "He's a drunk. He'll just go down and buy a cheap bottle of wine and drink it down and sleep the rest of the day."
"But it's Christmas. We might be the only hope he's got."
"The only thing he's hoping for is a bottle of cheap rotgut."
"That may be...but we're doing o.k. this year and I want to give something back."
"Give something back? Who gave us our money? This dirty man on the street? No. We worked hard for all we have. If you're going to reward anybody, it should be me for putting up with all those long hours at the office."
The husband scratched his head still looking at the filthy bundle of humanity below him.
"This could be us, you know."
"Don't be silly. We'd never let ourselves fall prey to an addiction. We're too smart for that."
"He may not be an addict."
"Yeh, right and that's Ivana's natural hair color."
"He may just be on hard times."
"Let's go, I'm getting cold and the curtain goes up in ten minutes."
The husband looked at the bum who was now looking directly into his eyes. The bum's eyes were blue surrounded by telltale wrinkles of being in the sun too long. He could have been a farmer who had spent years out in the fields. He could have been a veteran who had looked up at the beating sun in Viet Nam. He could have been a father who had tried to protect his son from the violence of the street. He could have been anything...he could have been him.
The wife walked on and quickly, the husband reached into his pocket and took out a $10 dollar bill.
"Here old man, before my wife sees. Merry Christmas."
The man in the cashmere coat walked on catching up to the drifts of perfume left by his wife.
"Merry Christmas to you, sir." The bum's voice was barely heard. The bum stood up from the wall and walked to the hot dog vendor down the street. After ordering five dogs he walked around the corner to the alley. There huddled against the other side of the wall was a little family of two children and woman. They hadn't always been here, but like the man had said, they had fallen on hard times. Things would be better in the new year.
"Here dear...Merry Christmas." He handed her the hot dogs which she passed out to the children.
A little girl of five looked up over her hotdog. "Is there change, Daddy?"
"Just a little."
"Then we shall have a present for Jesus' birthday."
"And when I start my new job after Christmas, we will remember this blessing. Yes, we will give Him a present too."
This story by Teresa Higginbotham, a Texas author, illustrates both sides of our nature both the contempt and discuss we feel in this situation and the need to give. This story has a happy ending...a homeless family is fed and there is the promise of a better future.
Let me tell you the real story, though. As many of you know I retired from the Wichita, Kansas police department after 21 years of service. Early in my career I was assigned as a patrolman to the downtown business district. Part of that area included a core that was dying. It was comprised of abandoned warehouses, cheap bars and a rundown hotel. Most of the "residents" of that area were winos and homeless. Most received some form of social security or disability assistance, but it wasn’t much and what there was was generally spent on cheap wine. The people there were dirty, they smelled and mostly kept to themselves.
We were experiencing unusually high incidents of assaults and robberies in the area that everyone assumed were being committed by residents against each other. At that time we had a very progressive lieutenant in charge of our squad and I suggested that he allow me and another officer to work undercover in the area. We were not going to find the problem by driving around in patrol cars; we needed to actually be there. He agreed, and much to our surprise, we found that the assaults were not being committed by the vagrants, but by others coming into the area. Not other vagrants, but young adult males from well off families, and we made several arrests.
During the several months I worked in this area I also learned a lot about this sub-culture of American society, a culture that is made up of not just the sick and disabled, but also doctors, lawyers and once successful businessmen. While there were some there who were temporarily disadvantaged for the most part these people were living a life they had chosen. There were missions and soup kitchens available, but most would refuse to go because first of all they would have to be sober and secondly they would have to follow rules. As a result you would find them sleeping in doorways, cardboard boxes and dumpsters. Winters in Wichita can be very harsh with snow, high winds, below zero temperatures and wind chills that were far below that. It is not an easy life and two or three times during the winter we would find a body.
My job was to protect and to serve. That does not mean just the people we consider acceptable, but all people. I learned from our legal system that if I were to issue a citation for jaywalking, consuming liquor in public, or any of several violations that they would not, nor could they pay the fine. It would normally take about six months for an unanswered citation to turn into an arrest warrant and if I issued that citation in June or July there would be an active warrant in January or February (generally the coldest months). I could then make an arrest on the warrant and, not being able to pay the fine, the person would be sentenced to up to 30 days in jail. There they would have no choice but to follow the rules, but they would also be warm, dry and well fed. I like to think that some lives were saved by doing this.
I do not condone this lifestyle. These are not good people, but they are people and they are children of God. Today’s lessons are all about the glory of the coming of God through the Son. Through the Advent season and our Christmas Eve services we have anxiously awaited the birth of the baby Jesus; however, Paul’s letter to the Hebrews reminds us that it is not Jesus, but the Christ of God that we should be in awe of. The one "who reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power." Who, "When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs." This is not just the glory of God who was given by the Father as a gift for us, but the glory of God that is in each of us.
This is a day of celebration. This is the time of year when we feel good and love abounds. This is the time of year when we want to give to others. When hearts are filled with good cheer and there are wishes for peace in all the world. Jesus is born and he is with us. He will lead us, guide us, live among us and suffer with us. He will become a part of us as the living Christ of God. Through His saving grace and belief in Him we will be united with God and will be His children. And along with this gift from our heavenly Father...a gift of lo, comes our responsibility.
I know you are asking yourselves "why is he telling us all of this, why this long story about disadvantaged people who he even admits are not good people?" The bottom line is this. We do not have to like or respect all people and we certainly do not have to agree with the choices that they make. But, as hard as it may be, it is also not our place to judge them. We are all children of God and even the dregs of society deserve our love. I'm not suggesting that you take a homeless family home for supper tonight. I'm not even suggesting that you should put a dollar in a tin cup. I am asking for you to support those agencies that do care for these people: the soup kitchens, the homeless shelters and missions, and your church.
Heavenly Father, when your precious Son became a tiny baby in a stable in Bethlehem in poverty and simplicity, you changed our world. As we imagine those surroundings, we join with the shepherds and the wise men in wonder and praise. We thank you for our material lives, praise you for our spiritual lives, and trust in you for our eternal life. Amen.
God bless you all and a Merry Christmas!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the Author:
Teresa Higginbotham lives in Texas with her husband and three children. She
writes "Tightwad Tess" articles about frugal living, homemaking, and parenting
and family humor.
Copyright © 2003 Emmanuel Episcopal Church. All rights reserved.
Revised: 12/29/08