On this Christmas Day, or Christmas week, take some time to
consider the ways in which the roads and dance of Creation Spirituality were
visible in the interaction of the Shepherds and Angels of the Christmas saga.
The
Gospel of Luke says, “In that region
there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by
night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord
shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not
be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the
Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth
and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of
the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest
heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’ When the angels had
left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go
now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has
made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the
child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been
told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the
shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in
her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had
heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:8-20)
I would suggest that the Via Positiva was part of
the Shepherds daily lives. Living in the fields, watching their sheep and
tending to them in order to make a living was simply 'life'. Like us, the Shepherds had a job to
do. Like us, most of the time it can seem pretty hum-drum and even repetitive.
Like us, they were not expecting God to interrupt their lives. “Then an angel of the Lord stood before
them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them…”
It is not surprising that “they were terrified.” (Certainly fear is a manifestation of the
separation of the Via Negativa.) Fortunately, the angels did not leave the
Shepherds in suspense for long. “The
angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of
great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a
Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will
find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and
saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those
whom he favors!’
By announcing the Good News of the birth of Messiah, the
Angels changed the fear of their appearance into a proclamation of something
amazing. I suspect that I would still have been a bit afraid and if not for the
witness of the other shepherds, I might have thought I was going a bit crazy.
As it is, “When the
angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the
Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph,
and the child lying in the manger.” These humble men of the field, who were
the first to hear the good news, were also the first to take action and become
part of the Via Creativa of God’s work. Instead of huddling in the fields
in fear, or dismissing the angels’ visitation as too much to drink, they
discussed what they had experienced. In the community of the 'new creation', they experienced solidarity. Then they ‘went in haste and found…the
child.’
Not only that, when they had seen that there was a baby
truly born in a manger, “they made known
what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at
what the shepherds told them…The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising
God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” The
shepherds were the first to spread the news of Messiah. They were the first to
announce the birth of the total Via Transformativa. They were not
afraid to tell the story.
Stop and Think: Put yourself in the shepherds’ story. Hear
the angels’ announcement and song. Pause to think about the conversation after
the angels departed. Imagine the joy at finding the Child.
Let us go, like the Shepherds, to tell others of the
real meaning of Christmas. Let those in darkness and fear know that the Light
of the Via Transformativa of justice
and reconciliation is here!
