An interesting day… Pastor Tom is doing a series of “chats”, not sermons about the principle characters of the Nativity story. Today, he started witht he story of Mary. He didn’t really say much that I hadn’t heard before. Mary was probably 13 or 14. Betrothed to be married.Basically, she and Joseph had gone thru the ceremony and they were in a year long time where Joseph had to prove himself worthy of providing for the family. After that year was up, they would have another ceremony, this time to consumate the relationship adn then they’d be officially hitched. Sunday School time was a fellowship time of coffee cake and OJ. I joined a conversation between Cal and Tom Hardy about Tom’s time in Iraq during this recent conflict. One of the things that struck me about what Tom said is that nearly everywhere except the USA, people still live by a caste system. There are definite classes. And, people born into one class can’t look beyond what they were born into. If they were born a poor peasant farmer, then, they’d basically have “poor peasant farmer” to look forward to. No Prince marrying Cinderella story here. One could only rise to the highest level of what they were born into. Head trash collector, if that was the family biz. Wow. At least they didn’t have to pick… I’d like to look at this in light on the Nativity story. I believe we really don’t grasp the gravity of the situation of Christ’s birth. The Jews were totally expecting a Messiah to save them from the Roman opression. A King born of royal blood. Pastor Tom (keeping our Tom’s straight here!) spoke of Nazareth as not the picture perfect town. A carpenter from Nazareth (Joseph’s class) wasn’t what the religious leaders were expecting. Spend some time thinking about THAT! Looking back 2000 years we wonder why those Saducees and Pharisees were so blind. But look at it from their perspective in light of the cultural influence. It’s as if a young black punk from the South, with a shizzle black Ebonic slang accept showed up in Washington DC and announced he was the next president. If we think that description is a bit racist, I don’t think we understand the extent that which Jesus was despised by the religious, no, make that anyone outside of Nazareth. He was an absolute outsider. The wrong career. The wrong family. The wrong town. When Phil. 2 talks about Jesus becoming man, I know I don’t understand the implications of that. He came to be the LOWEST of men.
So, I’ve got a Gold record on my wall. I’ve done so many things (all to be outlined here soon, I promise!). And I have and CAN do those things because I’m not hindered by any class system. I have that choice. In spite of how “bad” I may think the USA has become, Tom H. actually helped me see that what I have is a gift. My world is open to me. I can choose what to do tomorrow. Nothing (well, within reason) is dictated for me. What am I going to do about that?
