Christmas Eve 2020

Christmas Eve 2020 A letter to Vanessa, Lillian, and Becky upon the occasion of your baptism. Dear Vanessa, Lillian, and Becky, Today, after a really long wait, you are going to be baptized into the body of Christ in this, your faith community. This is not how any of us expected it to be when we first planned your baptism. It was supposed to happen months ago at Easter. It was supposed to be inside the church surrounded by those most important to you with the sweet fragrance of Easter lilies wafting around you. It was supposed to be different. No other year has taught us how our faith must grow and change in the face of the unexpected, the disappointing, the difficult. We all have known some dark times this year, and you girls are no different in that. We all continue to learn that things don’t always work out the way we think they are supposed to. But even in the midst of darkness, difficulty, uncertainty, God does not abandon us. Today/tonight, we gather to remember the ancient truth and wisdom of Emmanual—which means God with us. We remember that God chose to be born into this world as a testament to God’s love for us and that Jesus, God with us, proves that God does not abandon us, even when things seem their darkest. Today, you are being baptized into that God who is with us, “a long-sought withness for a world without.” i You have, ever since your creation, been claimed as God’s beloved and “marked as Christ’s own forever.” In and through your baptism today, you are saying “yes” to your belovedness and you are promising to live your life as one of God’s beloved; you are promising to set your life and to follow the path of faith as one who lives as a part of “God with us.” And we do this with you as we renew our own baptismal vows. It is a joyfully daunting task, this year more than ever. And the good news is that no matter how dark or difficult the way may be, you are not alone. God is with us. We are all in this together. Today/tonight, we remember that the church is so much more than a building. We, the church, are the people for whom God is with us. And when we the church are at our very best, we take turns lighting the way in the dark for each other; we take turns holding up the light of Christ for one another when one or many of us feel too weary or heart-broken or disappointed to go on. We take turns carrying each other through the seasons of darkness and doubt and disbelief. Because that is the truth of this night: that God is with us and that God’s love is stronger than anything. God’s love is stronger than the darkness of this world. God’s love is stronger than plague or pestilence. God’s love is stronger than our daily disappointments or our loneliness. God’s love is stronger than the worst things we can do to each other. God is with us and the light of God’s love that shines forth in the person of Jesus Christ is stronger than absolutely anything we may have to face in this life. Even death. And so, on this day of your baptism which is also the eve of the birth of God with us, may you each be given some of the gifts of those who first knew and experienced God with us on this night so many years ago. May the gift of the bold courage of Mary be yours to light your path. May the gift of the quiet faithfulness of Joseph be yours to steady your heart. May the clear vision of the angels be yours, along with their song of joy. And may you also know the shepherds willingness to be dazzled by a light that will always shine for you, even in the darkest of nights. God is with us. And we are with you. Now and always. Your sister in Christ, Melanie+ i. This line is from the poet Malcolm Guite’s poem “O Emmanuel”