The Empty Manger

The stage was set, the lights aglow, she added the finishing touches to the 'show'
The manger looked real, so beautifully done, but where was the Baby, he was not to be found,
'Who would notice?, ' what was the need? Last year too none had paid heed.

"Get on with it", yelled a Committee Member, ' haven't got all day, for you to play with hay.'
"He'll be here any moment!'', growled another, ' Who? Jesus? ', she asked, with an innocent smile
' No, the Chief Guest you silly, with a bio-data as long as the River Nile! '

Quickly she started to clear all the hay, motioned to a young man, to help her make way.
He ran up to her and tried to chip in, " here, clear this mess before the Chief guest is in'
From the corner of her eye she peered at the stranger, 'do you come to this church? ', her question seemed stranger.
' I live around here ', he cheerfully replied. ' Haven't you seen me, with my smile so divine? '
' That's a bit queer, for I thought I knew all, but you I haven't seen ever... at all.'
He looked crest fallen at her sudden repartee, she guessed he was hoping she'd be more friendly.
'You are not the only one who's going to say this , ask any member, he would never have noticed.'
'Who has the time or the intention, to look out for me or seek my intervention? '
'That's not fair ', she said with a frown, ' This church is the warmest amongst all in town.'
You would say this , you're part of this crowd, but tell me how many really care about Christ.
'Christ is the one whom we celebrate, Why, Don't you see our labour so great? '
' I can't hear your carols in the din of the committee voices, the egos, the tempers, they are all loud noises.'
'You fought over what the programs should be, you didn't include everyone, even the Nazarene! '

' The manger you so carefully arranged, has left out the Saviour ', he said with pain.
She cringed with embarrasment, she couldn't deny it, it truly was a cause for disdain.

Who are you? she asked indignantly, 'I am Jesus who you left out of your manger, completely.'
' Isn't this my birthday, you so proudly celebrate, with lights and gifts and wine and cake?' ;
Yet your manger is empty and so are your hearts, for there is no room for me in whole or in part.'
'I am just a variable, changing every year...but "Xmas" is empty without Christ in it, dear.'
What He said was true, as I turned around to see, everything was about Santa and the Christmas tree.
Everyone was busy with the preparations, but Christmas isn't only about festivity and imagination,
Wasn't it just a ' show' she thought, the Christ child was not born in any one's heart.

her heart sank within her, there was a sudden lull, Christmas without the Christ child would be so dull.
Suddenly her eyes settled on a pile, tucked between festoons , was the figurine of the Christ child!
She picked it up with nimble fingers, held it up for Him to see. He smiled and said ' now Christmas is complete.'
' You will find Me but only if you seek, amid the pile of your festivities.'

Now the stage was set, the lights aglow, she turned to see Jesus but He was there no more,
but Christmas was born in her heart that day, and she knew it was no longer... a ' Show'

Jesus is the Reason for the Season

In keeping with what I had said in my post yesterday, this month is dedicated to Christmas. The title of my post is a line I heard from a friend whom I respect a great deal and have lost touch with. 'Back then', it sounded more cool than profound, the rhyming was great - 'Reason' n 'Season', there was this zing to it! It sounded like a line from a nice Cola advert, but its meaning was empty much as the fizz of the cola; 'back then' was exactly a decade ago.

Today, 10 years later, i am compelled by the sheer simplicity of this one liner, to apply it to my Christmas!

The birth of this unusual baby was not marked with Christmas trees, sweets, trinkets, Christmas sales, cake and wine or the elaborate dinners. His birth was in a humble manger, his guest list had farm animals, shepherds, 3 wisemen. the gifts he received were not toys or clothes but were symbolic of his life and the events of his life here on earth ; Gold..signifying his royalty as King, Myrrh...significant of His painful death on the Cross and Frankincense...symbolic of his exaltation as High Priest.

His name too was again reflective of His Mission...a very serious mission of redeeming the world from the shackles of sin.
Mancha (my dear husband) in one of his beautiful sermons on the Christmas story, reflects on the fact that all the events leading up to the birth of the Christ child were serious events with dangerous consequences. I especially liked the part where Mancha says that its not a "Merry Christmas but a Worry Christmas." How true!

• Mary was worried, a teenager becoming an unwed mother!
• Joseph was worried, his fiance pregnant before marriage, she would surely be stoned to death if the community got to know.
• Shepherds who first heard of the news were worried and puzzled.
• Wise Men were worried about choosing between the heart and the head. the 'head' telling them to fear Herod and tell him where the Saviour was born, while the 'heart' telling them to go their way without saying a word.
• Herod too was worried because as King, he did not want a contender to his position.

Clearly this baby had caused a stir and that's what I think Christmas is meant to be. not to remain relegated to the festivities but to cause a stir in our lives, in our mundane existence. it must stir us out of our complacency, our comfort zones, make us uncomfortable. it should make us sit up and think.

but that would happen only when truly Jesus is the Reason for the Season. I think it is great that Christmas is so closely connected to New Year's. The 'stir' that He will cause in our lives would help to amend ways, turn over a new leaf and make resolutions that we will stay true to.

Reminiscences of Christmas

Hello! Folks!! It is that time of year again when you smile without reason, when your heart is happy without cause, when Jesus is the Reason for the Season.When thoughts of chocolates and cookies and the aromas of chicken biriyanni, mutton stew, candies, wine and cakes make you go weak in the knees….cakes! Did I say cake...Plum and rum, fruit and nut, icing and chocolate. Mmmm!!!! Its Christmas, folks and we the Kerala Christian Association are back with a bang, bringing to you once again from our very own home kitchens – the delectable, irresistible, Christmas cake.Filled with rum-soaked raisins, cashews and dates, jostling for space with juicy black currants, candied peel and an extra dash of that secret Christmas spice, this cake is guaranteed to tingle and tease your taste buds and make you beg for –“One More Slice’Baked with Christmas love in the warmth of our hearts, this delightful treat from the KCA kitchens is sure to appeal to your sweet tooth and add that ‘zing’ to this Christmas Season…..ho! Ho! ho

The above is from an advert I wrote for the KCA cakes and suddenly I am thinking of Christmas. So I dedicate (most of) this month's posts to Christmas. Twinkling lights, tingling bells, Christmas trees, gifts, cakes,carol singing.. and above all the Christ child. That little baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger, blissfully asleep as all babies are. Unaware of the huge responsibility that awaits Him to redeem the world...the greatest wonder of Christmas will always be the Christ Child