I suspect that I’m like most people. While I can see that there are many serious problems in the world, I often feel that it’s beyond my ability to change any of them. What’s one person able to do? Often, many people feel powerless in the face of the complex problems like war, racism, genocide, and the various ways people and nations treat others so very badly. I’m sure that people have felt the way I do in the past. They probably will have the same kinds of feelings in the future. The problems may change or be different in various eras and millennia, but really, what can one person do?
It’s from this feeling of powerlessness that I’ve been reflecting on the sacred stories from the Christian tradition about Christmas. I know from my studies that the narratives found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke – two accounts of the birth of Jesus that present very different events – that much of what we know today as the story of Christmas isn’t based on historic facts. There’s some historic evidence that Jesus existed. His mother was likely named Mary. But beyond that, we just don’t know very much about the events of his life other than what’s contained in the written narratives known as gospels. When the gospels are compared to one another, there are many contradictions. Roman history shows no record of a census or any of the other historic details conveyed in Matthew and Luke’s writing. Many parts of the two different gospel stories seem to be drawn from various parts of the Hebrew Scriptures. However, we do know this: since Jesus existed, he was born. He had to have a mother. In his culture, there would have been a father, too. There would also have been a host of other people who were involved with his birth and early life.
It really doesn’t matter to me whether Luke was correct that shepherds heard the songs of angels and made their way to the stable to see the newborn Jesus. Nor is it important to me that Matthew got it right about the astrologers who followed a star. While the stories are beautiful and poetic, my faith isn’t based on the accuracy of the reports. Instead, there’s something much more important to me in the sacred stories of the nativity of Jesus.
Two thousand years ago, people in the Near East lived a very harsh life under the control of a brutal foreign government. The conditions of life were difficult and primitive. Yet the people in the early life of Jesus were part of something that changed the world. They didn’t know it at the time. Instead, they led their lives doing their daily tasks as best as they could. Because many women died in childbirth, someone must have cared for Mary. While the rate of infant mortality was high, Jesus thrived and grew strong. People whose lives are not recorded in any historic record took care of the family we now call holy. These people were responsible for each other and did what they could for one another. Somehow, through all the difficulties of life in that ancient place, a remarkable teacher emerged. While clearly his teachings grew out of Jewish religion as practiced in that era and the distinctive culture of first century Judea, his message continues to transform lives and challenges us to be the best people we can be.
Maybe his father’s name was Joseph. Or maybe that name was used as a reminder of the Hebrew patriarch Joseph who became a deliverer of his family. I don’t know if Jesus had an aunt named Elizabeth, or if there was an inn keeper, or anyone else we know about from the sacred stories who played the roles we know so well today. I am certain that many people who were poor, uneducated, and good hearted, provided care, support, and nurturance to Jesus and his family. It’s because of them that Jesus grew to be the teacher of truth and wisdom whose message has profoundly shaped my life and the lives of countless people.
The sacred story of the life of Jesus was called in the movies, “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” What I find great about the story of Christmas isn’t the larger than life aspects of angelic choirs and celestial signs but something much simpler: ordinary people who were living difficult lives in a world full of problems who did the best they could. Somehow, just by doing the best they could, they were part of something that changed the world. We will never know who all these people really were. But they were part of supporting the life of Jesus as he grew. The result is that today many people continue to be inspired by a message of peace on Earth and good will toward all.
Many people probably feel a lot like me: I’m not sure what I can do in the face of the complex problems of the world. But I can lead my life well – showing care and respect for others while doing what I can to make the lives of others better. In doing so, I may not know the long term impact of my actions. However, the greatest story ever told began with simple people just doing the best they could.