In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus." [Luke 1:26-31, NRSV]
This coming Sunday, my congregation does its annual Crèche service where we do a series of readings and carols that take us through the story of the birth of Jesus. Along the way we place the figures of the story on the altar until everyone is assembled. It is one of my favorite worship services of the year.
Over the next few days I'd like to offer a few meditations on the players in this divine drama and see how they speak to us today. Perhaps you identify most strongly with the angel in the Christmas story. If this is the case then you are what I would call a JOY BRINGER. You are the kind of person who, during this holiday season, has holly growing out of their ears and mistletoe in their hearts! You know a JOY BRINGER in a second. Their presence lights up a room.. They are quick to share a hug, sing a carol or make a special handmade gift, Those who identify most strongly with the angel realize that in the midst of the craziness of this holiday season only one thing really matters: The birth of Jesus Christ. It is this knowledge that fills them with great joy and keeps them focused on what's really important this holiday season.
The LGBT community has more than its fair share of joy bringers. Our creative community keeps this holiday sparkling bright! Do you think Paula Dean or Martha Stewart can pull things off without a few gays helping them long the way? I think not! Our world is in short supply of JOY BRINGERS so if this is your gift, don't be afraid to shine. It's true, there is much darkness in our world. I see it all the time in my work as a hospital chaplain. But we angels need to keep reminding people that there is something to celebrate this season no matter how difficult life may seem.
As a side note you might find it interesting to know that the Greek word for evangelism is "euaggelion." The root of this word is "aggel" which means "angel" in English. Thus angels are evangelists who proclaim the Good New of Jesus' birth to all who would hear their song: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, good will to all"
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