The Absurdity of the Story

 It never fails.

Each year at Christmas,

As I tell my students various stories about holiday traditions and characters,

I am struck by the absurdity of the Christmas story.

 

A virgin conceives a son.

An angel appears to her and says do not be afraid.

She is afraid of what will come but nonetheless accepts her call.

(I explain none of that).

Her fiancé’s honor is challenged.

He is ready to break the marriage arrangement quietly,

Which in and of itself is remarkable,

But an angel appears to him and says do not be afraid.

He is afraid of what will come but nonetheless accepts his call.

(I explain none of that either).

Mary and Joseph must travel to Bethlehem for a census

(Which I explain as taking attendance).

They travel a long way on foot and donkey.

When they get there, there is nowhere for them to stay.

No one wants to give them a resting place

Except for this one person who is willing to give them a place to stay—

As long as they are willing to stay in a barn.

Desperate for rest,

Mary and Joseph accept the offer.

While there, in less-than-ideal living and birthing conditions,

Surrounded by animal noises and hay and poop,

Their son is born.

They name him Jesus.

Jesus is a very special baby.

(“In the Christian tradition,” I say,)

Jesus is known as the son of God.

Jesus is so special that the lowest of lows, the shepherds,

And the highest of highs, the wisemen,

Both come to visit and bring him gifts.

(And I show a simple Nativity Scene,

Which in an of itself is totally inaccurate because the wisemen came much later).

There is a bounty on Jesus’s head,

But the wisemen refuse to turn him in.

So his family lives in exile for years…

And then we know nothing more about them until they leave Jesus at the temple

Twelve years later.

(I don’t go into that either.)

 

It all sounds like a crazy story,

A work of fiction,

Like Santa Claus riding on a sleigh pulled by reindeer,

Sliding down chimneys and delivering gifts to children whom he is always watching,

Or Frosty the Snowman,

Or Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer,

Or The Grinch,

Or the Nutcracker,

Or National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

 

But I tell my students that regardless of what people believe about Jesus,

We know that a man named Jesus really did exist,

Just like we know that the Maccabees really did revolt,

And people from Africa really were forced to come to America and forget their African heritage

(But I don’t say that—

I just talk about the principles of Kwanzaa

And the importance of remembering history and heritage instead.)

 

Students ask if Santa is real.

Then they ask if God is real.

They want to know what is fact and what is fiction…

Because when it comes down to it,

The Christmas Story is absurd.

And yet…

For those of us who believe,

It is the story that changes our lives.

 

God: Help us to be true to Your Story while honoring other cultures and traditions and not trying to force Your Story down throats. Your Word is powerful. Help us to let it speak…even when it sounds absurd. Then again, your love and grace are illogical as well. Thank you. For being beyond comprehension and what makes sense. Amen.