The Experience of a New Baby and How it Connects to the Birth of Jesus Christ.
Like most, I’m mentally preparing to move on from the slow days of the holiday season and get back to work. Without fail, the conversation turns to the lost meaning and magic of Christmas. No doubt, at some point over the years, we’ve all had that feeling that something was missing in this year’s celebration, or maybe it was the lack of celebration that caused us to think deeply about this time of year and wrestle with the true meaning of the season. I know for sure there’s been times in my life when instead of the hymnal of Christmas carols, I’ve reached for the worn and torn sheet music of the blues.
But not this year! This year I was reminded of the joy of the season and what it means by the arrival of a new “Christmas Baby.” No, not that baby, but I promise, if you keep reading, I will get there.
For me, it’s been some years since I’ve had a Christmas baby, a new baby that becomes the center of attention at holiday dinners. A new baby that invites you to love on him and is receptive to being loved, with no demands or qualifications. This year, I was given the gift of a new Christmas baby in the person of Baby A (of course, not his real name). And as I write this, just maybe, “given” is too strong of a word, maybe more like I inserted myself into the life of this beautiful sweet boy and made him mine; without a doubt, I’m certainly his.
Having a new baby come into a family is one of the most exciting and transformational experiences that a family can go through. There is something truly magical about the arrival of a new baby and the way it changes each and every individual within a family, from parents and siblings to extended family and friends.
Each family member seems to let their guard down in that moment of loving this new baby, and the children are even engaging with the presence of this new little person that has joined the annual gathering of friends and family. There is an element of joy caused by the arrival of this new gift given to those who were told of the coming of a new baby. (Do you see where I’m going with this)
This feeling of transformation was no different when Jesus Christ was born two thousand years ago. While it may not be obvious, the experience of a new baby coming into a family can be directly linked to the story of Jesus Christ coming into the world. This singular force can draw all of our attention, demanding that we pause to give notice of this new powerful and yet helpless force that has now entered our world.
The birth of Jesus was precisely that; the arrival of a new baby that required our attention. As the word spread of his birth, the family of God gave notice of the events and started to live with the anticipated changes. In the same way, when a new baby is introduced into our families, we are reminded that we have a role to play. Just as God intended, our human instincts of kindness and caring are heightened. We are mindful to touch with a little more tenderness and talk a little more softly. We even find ourselves tipping in and out of the room while the baby sleeps. Someone has to feed the baby. Mom or a willing party has to change the baby, and someone else has to attend to the baby while others eat dessert, drink coffee, or sip tea. The sheer presence of the baby draws our attention. This micro experience of families offers us a unique and powerful perspective on the importance of the birth of Jesus and how God intended for the world to respond.
Just as a family experiences the joy and celebration that comes with the introduction of a new baby, all the wonder and discovery the occasion brings, God in his wisdom gave us the Christ child, our “Christmas baby” that we might experience the wonder of his love and the discovery of his grace. No longer with fear and trepidations was the world looking up to God, but with the Christ child, we found ourselves looking down into the loving face of our “Christmas Baby,” responding in the way we respond when a new baby is in our midst.
Even if you didn’t get a Christmas baby this year, you can still share that experience. While there is no baby Jesus to behold, and with the current state of the airlines, there is no guarantee you will even make it to Bethlehem before he’s up and walking, you can still see the face of the powerful presence of God who comes to us as a helpless child in the faces all around you. You see it in the faces of those who are hurting, those who are living on the margins of poverty and despair. Those who have lost their way as they struggle with addiction and so many others examples around us daily.
It is not too difficult to tell the once-Christmas baby years remove, to reach up and get their own plate or fix something themselves, but it is much harder to ignore those who are feeble, unfortunate, and powerless. These individuals, like babies, draw us away from our selfish concerns about superficial gifts given and received and into a posture of love and service.
Now, if you excuse me, I’ve got to remember what I did with that bottle of Myrrh; I promised Baby A I would bring him some the next time I saw him, and he’s anxious to try it.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!
