The Day After

The shepherds had left, returning to the fields to tend their sheep. The morning brought activity to the inns and markets and life returned to normal the day after. A Savior had entered the world. A night filled with glory unspeakable dawns with everyone returning to the mundane. . . finding food in the market. . . preparing meals. . . laundering the clothes. . .fishing the shorelines. . . completing the census. Life went on and what began as a moment of indescribable awe now bleeds into the ordinariness of needing to find food and shelter and the getting on with life. A night of holy pause to reflect on the God who had kept His promise, now melts into a daily life of living with the Christ-child. The Messiah, the Savior will be one of us. And because He is now one of us--a baby who looks like any other--I wonder if anyone noticed. Were Joseph and Mary frustrated that no one saw who He truly was. Sure, their family oohed and aahed over a beautiful new baby boy. But I wonder, did anyone at home bow down in holy awe? He looked so much like. . . like every other baby. The long awaited Messiah? That's the Messiah?

Two thousand years later. . .Our homes swell with excitement over the long awaited moment. We pause and we remember and we celebrate. He has come. Born of Mary. Our Immanuel. And the day after life goes on. . .we pick up the mess. . .we wash the dishes. . .we return to the usual. And yet He is still with us. Does anyone notice? Do I? Would I have thought that the very I AM would disguise Himself as a babe?

I wonder, after the moments when we pause to remember and to celebrate His coming. . . His with-us-ness. . . the day after . . .how do I still remember the Holy. . .where will I look for Him? Surely, He is with us. He took on human flesh--the best of disguises--and became one of us. God, you are so different from the world. So other. We look to the best the world has to offer and you are not there. You, God "chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise" (1Cor. 27) We pick our "best and brightest" to lead the nations. You chose a baby to usher in the greatest kingdom ever.

The day after, I need to remember to look for You in unexpected places. If You chose to make Your grand entrance in a Bethlehem stable, my guess is You will appear most often again in places I least expect. I expect to see you, Jesus in the grand sanctuaries we fill once a week. My guess is I'd find you more readily huddling with the world's forgotten. . .not just one day a week--but everyday.