The 60-Second Sabbath

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Our Nativity, Part 3

I stand again before the Nativity, pondering:

On the left, the shepherds:

    Why us?

    Why this blast of angel joy
        in this forsaken field?
    Why not a gathering of rabbis?
        the Roman counsel?
    a gaggle of gladiators?

    Why us?

    We, the low men on the social totem pole,
        smelly and undesirable,
        necessary, but not someone you'd want marrying your daughter.
    Think of those in your day
        who do the most menial of tasks--
        that's us.

    So again, why us?

In the middle, Mary:

    Why me?

    Seriously, why me, a girl, a teenage girl?
    I have no theological training,
        little life experience.
    Miraculous birth? Then why not an elder, wise, sage, and respected.
    How about someone who's proven her leadership?

    Why me?

    Small me.

    Why me?

To the right, the wisemen:

    Why us?

    We live so far very away,
        a difficult journey,
        we of diverse backgrounds,
        strange companions, thrown together.
    Why this celestial event that only we could see,
        we the magi, astrologers, neither Jews, Greeks, nor Romans?

    Why us?

    We are foreigners, strangers here.
    We are men of very different faith.

    Why us?

And standing opposite, me:

    Why me?

    Smelly me.
    Small me.
    Stranger me.

    Why me?

Text and image © 2022 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.

Our Nativity, Part 2

This keeps popping up on my Facebook feed,
    so far as a T-shirt, a Christmas ornament, and a lawn sign:

        Rejoice in the birth
            of a dark-skinned,
        Middle-Eastern,
            undocumented immigrant.

I laughed heartily when I first read it,
    because, after all, it's true,
we are rejoicing in exactly this, and,
   it targets (not subtly)
those who would twist Jesus' life and teaching
    to reject those who are foreign (different),
including the immigrants among us.

My next thought was:
    That's really politicizing Christmas.

And my next thought was:
    Too late! That ship sailed two millennia ago.

Revisit the Annunciation in Luke 1:26-38:

    Gabriel:
        Surprise! You're going to have a baby,
            and not with Joseph, with God.
        He's going to bring a new and forever kingdom,
            and it will radically supplant the powers of this world.

But that's only the start;
    look again the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55:

    Mary:
        It's a revolution--
            food for the hungry, empty hands for the rich,
        God's favor for the lowly, nothing for the arrogant and boastful.
            Everything upended!

The Magnificat is an astonishing challenge
    to our values and goals--
my values and goals.
    Listen and be unnerved, humbled.

I gaze again into the stable,
    where Mary and Joseph
gaze serenely at the blue-eyed baby.
    I know they were all dark-skinned and Middle-Eastern,
and I translate that in my head,
    and I also know Mary knows what the future holds,
what pain and darkness will follow.
    Surely she has shared that with Joseph.
This night, perhaps, all is calm and bright,
    but very soon comes their desperate flight.

Text and image © 2022 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.

Our Nativity, Part 1

I have set up our Nativity scene.

It's a miracle these plaster figures,
    purchased in the 1950's,
        have survived their decades' long journey
            to arrive once again in Bethlehem
                atop the bookcase in our bedroom.

I recall standing eye level in front of the display case
    (at our local five and dime)
        gazing in wonder at the row of powder-blue Marys
            and purple-cloaked Josephs,
                and so many baby Jesuses, each molded into his own manger.

As a kid I wanted to be the one shepherd,
    faithful dog at his feet,
        playing his flute.
            I would serenade the babe
                with an improvised lullaby.

Decades later, visiting my parents,
    my mother handed me a box, saying,
        "This is the Nativity. You always enjoyed putting it up;
            why not take it with you this trip."
                I was thrilled.

There's been only one casualty over the years,
    the original angel has gone missing.
        What remains, besides Mary, Joseph and baby,
            are two shepherds, two sheep,
                and three wise men.

Over the years, we replaced the angel
    with a sturdier one
        (that would bounce if dropped),
            adding a camel, a donkey, two goats and two deer.
                Surely there were deer at the stable.

Placing each figure is a prayer,
    a memory, a remembrance,
        for family, many now gone,
            for faith and hope,
                for us.

These symbols nestle now in fake greens,
    a light string purchased 20+ years ago at Goodwill
        (still functioning--yet another miracle!),
            and a stable built of pine
                with the help of my friend Beth.

It's all peace and gentleness,
    a quiet respite in an otherwise turbulent story.
        There are dangerous implications
            to this revolutionary birth.
                But more on that next time.

Text and image © 2022 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.

I Shall Break

One day, I shall slip
    from this life to some other,
        from this awareness to the next.

That transition
    won't be hard--
        I am ready now.

The unbearable part
    will be saying farewell.
        It is then I shall break.

Text and image © 2022 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.

Genesis 1

This is creation now--
    not in the past,
        but the present.

Reread Genesis 1 with this lens--
    "In this moment
        God creates heaven and earth."

This morning,
    when you open your eyes,
        all comes (once again) into being--

birth, life, growth--
    look, see, see!--
        God again brings all into being,

again,
    and now again,
        and yet again...

Today is the big bang:
    BAM!

And how does God respond to this creating?
    "Oh, it is good,
        so very good!

And above all,
    and in all,
        and through all--

God in us
    and we in God--
        where do Creator and Creature begin and end?

Does it matter?
    We--Creature and Creator--
        are Creation itself.

Again--
    BAM!

Text and image © 2022 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.

Epiphany Possibility

Queens and Kings come marching, marching,
    some on horseback, some on foot.

I leave my mending, approach my open door,
    watch open-mouthed.

Queens and Kings come marching, marching,
    some on horseback, some on foot.

A long line, all shapes and sizes, all colors and clothes,
    the poor and neglected, the privileged and neat.

Queens and Kings come marching, marching,
    some on horseback, some on foot.

Peaceful and eager, expectant and hopeful;
    dust-covered--head to toe, shawl to sandal, fedora to wingtip.

Queens and Kings come marching, marching,
    some on horseback, some on foot.

What do they know that I do not?
    What might they find that I may miss?

Queens and Kings come marching, marching,
    some on horseback, some on foot.

My children grab my hands, drag me outward,
    pointing, laughing.

Queens and Kings come marching, marching,
    some on horseback, some on foot.

I cannot. The unknown, the uncertain. I tremble.
    "Not yet, not now," I say, shepherding us to safety.

Queens and Kings go marching, marching,
    some on horseback, some on foot.

We stand at the window, watching.
    Why this sudden, sodden sadness?

Queens and Kings go marching, marching,
    some on horseback, some on foot...

Text and image © 2022 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.
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Clinging

What good has clinging done you?

    This lover,
        that friendship,
    this home,
        that box of stuff,
    this offense,
        that regret,
    this doctrine,
        that crusade?

What good has clinging done you?

Those who carry the least
    leave the most room
        for the Beloved.

Text and image © 2024 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.