I have a sad letter
from the Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El-Assal,
the Bishop of the Diocese of Jerusalem.

He writes that darkness and violence
have descended onto the Holy Land
and he asks us to pray for them
in the name of the holy one of God
who came once, 2000 years ago
and overthrew the darkness
and bathed the fields of the simple shepherds
with God's Light.

"In those days," writes Luke,
in the midst of persecution and violence
by frightened rulers
and the resulting oppression of the people,
a son was born
and the heavenly hosts appeared
to the Shepherds in the fields
near Bethlehem.

For, this one child - Jesus -
would make all the difference
in the world.

If there is one thing I have learned
about the power of the Son of God
to make a difference,

it is that this power, this light,
illuminates the world
one human heart at a time.

That is why we still see
darkness and violence
even in the Holy Land.
Many hearts remain fearful
of loosing control, or wealth,
or privilege, or security.

Many are resentful of the oppression that results
and are angry beyond all reason.

and yet, many are ready for a sign of hope,
God's hope,
for there doesn't seem to be
any other kind.

The message of Christmas
is that God comes to us
abides in us.

That's nice. It feels good;
but the implication of that
is that this incarnate God
will make a difference in us,
will change us,
and through us
will make a difference in others.

The people who walked in darkness
will see a great light,
one human heart at a time.

We will become that sign of hope
to others
and eventually, through others
to this fallen world.

As I mentioned
I am deeply saddened this ChristmasTide
by the impossible situation
in the Holy Land
One side is dispossessed of its land and autonomy
and the other side is fearful
of loosing control
in a sea of what the perceive
to be mortal enemies.

and yet, God's light shines for them all
if they do but see it
- trust it.

I would so have hoped
that this season would be for them
an opportunity
for the next 12 days
are not only Holy Christmas
for the Christians
who celebrate the light of God
coming into the world
bringing justice and peace
but it it is also the last 10 days
of Ramaden,
the observance of the gift of the Quran,
the Light of God
which came into the world for the Arabs
at a time of great darkness

In fact, the holiest day of Ramaden
is this year
the first Wednesday of ChristmasTide.

Simultaneously, Jews are observing
their 8 day festival of Light (Chanukah)
celebrating the restoration of the Temple
after the first destruction

and 1 night's worth of oil
which is all they had
shone in the darkness
on the Temple Mount
for 8 days and nights.

Each simultaneous celebration
is about the coming of God's Light
into the darkness,
hope into chaos,
life into death.

And these 3 celebrations of God's Light
from three traditions
occur together only once or twice
in a long lifetime.

What an opportunity for the peoples of the world
to open their hearts
and allow the light to enter,
to put aside anger and resentment

to trust enough to overcome
our fear
to be witnesses and doers
of God's Truth,
God's Love
God's Presence
for all.

Yet, I despair of such.
And, what might this say
about our own commitment
to being God's people on earth?
How might we react
when much less threatened.?

I've often wondered
if there isn't some way for Christians
to stand in the middle of no man's land
in Jerusalem
and in the middle
of the acrimony and violence
to witness to the Light
which is there in each
and for each
of those great traditions.

What a high calling that would be.
But, certainly, we are called
to be a presence of God at home
and in our own community
to use our faith and our resources
our lives as examples
to witness to the Light
which is needed right among us

It's right there
for each of us to share.

Friday evening, on television
I saw the Christmas special
of the series, "Providence".

That show illustrated for me
the way God works
to transform the world
one human heart at a time.

Sid, a young woman physician,
upon the death of her mother
has moved back home from California
and finds her family a bit difficult.

She has a sister, Joanie
a brother, Robbie
and a father, Dr. Jim Hanson
who has a veterinary clinic
in their family house.

After being frustrated
in an attempt to gather them all
around their family Christmas traditions,
Sid proclaims
that she wishes she had never
come back to Providence.

Whereupon, in a dream
her deceased mother takes her
for a visit to a Christmas future
as it would be
had she not returned home.
In that vision
she found her sister
victimized in a dysfunctional relationship,
her brother in prison,
her family house sold
to pay the legal expenses,
her father married to the town busy-body
simply because he had nowhere else to go
and no place or will
to practice veterinary medicine.

That was one dream
from which Sid was happy to awaken.

So, she remained home, alone
that holy evening
quietly preparing for Christmas;

and, because of her presence
there at the heart of place
and tradition
her presence, nothing she did
nothing she said
simply because of her presence
the others;
her sister
her brother
her father
each turned away
from some potentially self destructive activity
and gathered at home
to celebrate Christmas together.

The story is a powerful one
of incarnation
-that is of God being present
in human relating
representing justice, righteousness
and love.
- of God's being present in one person
- and giving light to many.

It doesn't take much effort
only faith - trust in God.
Even simple shepherds,
the lowliest of men
in the time of Jesus,
can do it.

"The Grace of God
has dawned upon the World
with healing for all humankind.

That is our birthright.
That is our healing.
That is our comfort.

Yet, that also
is our challenge.
That is our calling.
That is our mission.
That is our ministry.
and
that is the hope of the world.

For, "In the midst of darkness,
the Grace of God
has dawned.