Hey! Unto You A Child Is Born!
FROM THE DESK OF IELA GALIANO-WILLIAMS
This blog is part of our 2024 Advent series! But can be read any time you need some joy in your season of waiting…
“Since Gladys was the only one in the pageant who had anything to say she made the most of it: “Hey! Unto you a child is born!” she hollered, as if it was, for sure, the best news in the world. And all the shepherds trembled, sore afraid—of Gladys, mainly, but it looked good anyway.” - The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Author, Tish Harrison Warren, has a book called Prayer in The Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep. It isn't written for Advent, yet it is quite fitting for this season of waiting in darkness for the light of Christ to arrive.
This week we lit the third candle on our Advent wreath, also known as the Shepherd's candle. We may be so familiar with the line in Luke 2:8, “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night” that it has lost its punch. Yet, doesn't this make the Shepherds exactly one of those who work, watch, & maybe even weep by night? As any farmer knows, there are no “off the clock” hours. If an animal or crop needs you, you are always on call.
Shepherd's watching over sheep at night would be looking out for wolves, tending the young, watching for strays, & monitoring the weather. In the midst of this ordinary night, their senses may have been heightened, but I don't think they ever expected to see a whole host of angels proclaiming a joyous announcement! How could they have ever prepared for that?
How often in our waiting are we prepared to experience joy? Joy once we get what we're waiting for, sure! But joy appearing in the midst of our waiting? What might that even mean?
I think we can find this concept difficult because telling ourselves, or someone else, to look for joy when they aren't feeling particularly joyful dances a little too close to the line of brushing our feelings under the rug. As a therapist or spiritual director, I would never just tell someone to be joyful when they aren't in that place. Yet, even as we wade through the necessary muck of life, I am also always listening for the light that is seeping through the cracks, wondering where God's joyful presence is shining forth, & when it will be made known. It isn't always as obvious as a whole host of angels singing, but I am alert for it all the same.
So, what might this alertness look like as we listen to our own lives? The Shepherd's heard this life-changing news, but life still probably looked much the same when they went back to work the next night. Baby Jesus still had many years to go before he started his ministry, & even then it didn't quite look the way they may have expected. Yet, still the Angel boldly proclaimed, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” There wasn't a qualifier. The angel was offering joy in the midst of their waiting that night.
And so, as you may be able to predict if you've been following along…my question for this week is what are you waiting for & what difference would joy make in your waiting?
May we remember that the joy of Jesus' birth is offered to all of us, whether we watch, work, or weep.