By Pastor Mike McVey
Minister – First Methodist Church, Fairfield TX
ACS Chaplain – United State Coast Guard, Station Galveston TX
Greetings brothers and sisters, here we are only a few days away from Christmas day! I hope you have your shopping done and your letters to Santa mailed.
Each year I try to read the classic Dickens book “A Christmas Carol.” You know that story, it’s the one that seems to have about a thousand movie adaptations. I would encourage you to actually read the book if you have a chance, it’s a great read and contains deep Christian references and reminders of why this season should truly be celebrated. Though if you want to read an even better Christmas Story open the Gospels of Matthew or Luke.
Anyway, one of my favorite quotes comes from Scrooge’s Nephew Fred. When Ebenezer Scrooge accuses Fred of Christmas being wasteful and frivolous; Fred responds with an epic quote. He states, “I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round—apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that—as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!‘”
Perhaps good ol’ Fred was on to something there. The line that sticks out the most to me is, “When men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.” What’s being said here is that we have more in common with each other than we choose to realize. We are all members of the human race and most importantly we are all members of God’s creation. This season has a spirit that brings people together in an environment of healing and forgiveness.
Within our small community we all have disputes and disagreements among us. It resides in our homes, our businesses, our schools, our local government, our courts, and even our churches. Division is a universal quality in humanity, but humanity also has a universally welcoming Savior to overcome such divisiveness.
Jesus Christ’s birth brings those from the common people, such as shepherds, and those of means, such as the magi/wisemen. They came to the manger and humbled themselves before the babe that would save them all. Perhaps that historic gathering is a reminder to us all that we are all in the same situation. We are all flawed people in need of grace, fellow travelers to the grave, all in need of salvation. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans about the gift Christ has given, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Wherever you may gather for worship this Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, you are gathering in fellowship with countless celebrants from all over the world. All brought together because of a humble babe born in a manger who would save the world from their faults and failures. The chasm between God and humanity was bridged through the greatest birth in history. Though we may not agree on everything let us agree on the main thing, we are great sinners and Christ is our great savior.
Let me close with the words of the epic words of Dickens’ Christmas Carol, “And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us, Every one!”
Your fellow traveler in need of Grace,
Pastor Mike McVey
(P.S. Everyone is invited to come and attend the Community Christmas Eve Service at Fairfield First United Methodist Church, 201 N. Mount St., at 6pm!)
