"Do Not Be Afraid"
For those of you who went through philosophy classes in school you will remember one of the exercises was to prove the existence of God. You many even remember the classic proofs for God's existence developed by philosophers and theologians. Thomas Aquinas, Anselm, Hume, and others haunted your studies of God's existence. Among the many proofs developed, all with the strengths and weaknesses was one that is known as the Clockmaker proof. It is often attributed to Rene Descartes, also known for his statement, "I think, therefore I am." In his view, God can be seen as the Great Clockmaker. In explaining creation Descartes saw God as the great being who took chaos into order; and then like a clockmaker, after fashioning a timepiece simply set things in motion and stepped back. God has no further hand in the world. In our time Descartes' argument is explained by those who compare God to a computer programmer, who having set the program going, has no further need to intervene.
Years ago, Bette Midler had a hit song called: "From a Distance." It painted a beautiful picture of the world-blue and green, with snow capped mountains; a world in which no wars could be seen, and all was in harmony. Its chorus proclaims: God is watching us, God is watching us, God is watching us, From a distance. The song always rang sour for me as it reminded me of the philosopher's debates on God's existence, and particularly the Descartes' assertion that God is no longer active in the world, having once set everything in motion.
Contrast that song with one by Joan Osborne, called "What if God were One of Us?" Now the opening music to the TV show, Joan of Arcadia it asks the questions:
If God had a name, what would it be
And would you call it to His face
If you were faced with Him in all His glory
What would you ask if you had just one question
Yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make His way home
If God had a face, what would it look like
And would you want to see?
While you don't want to push the theology too far in this song, it's central question, "what if God were one of us?" is the message that we celebrate, that we cling to in this season. In the birth of the Christ child we know the answer-God did become one of us, to know our griefs, our pains and even our deaths.
In this morning's gospel text we have the amazing story of Joseph who took to heart this promise of God. He could have followed the Deuteronomic law which said women such as Mary could be stoned to death. Or he could have taken the honorable route out and quietly divorced her, instead of either of those options he chose to participate in God's work after being visited in a dream by an angel who tells him do not be afraid. Told in a dream about this son Mary would bear, to be given two names in this text-Joseph claims Mary as his wife, and in doing so claims God's promises.
Thanks be that Joseph listened and responded. In his listening and response we know the reality of God-not the clockmaker God that long ago got out of the way and now watches from a distance-but the God who choose to be with us in the muck and messiness of life. Being born in a stable should constantly remind us of that reality! And how much we need that constant reminder that somehow God is in the midst of our lives. We live in a time of fear, both generalized and specific. There is much generalized anxiety in a post 9/11 world as we deal with constant threat alerts. There is much that is specific-how horrible the murder of a young woman in Skidmore, MO this past week, murdered so someone could steal her unborn child. Ironically Skidmore is also the town that some 20 years ago took justice in its own hands by killing the town bully as 40 people watched, yet no one ever came forward to testify as a witness to the killing. What a world!
Our text this morning gives us the answer to such a world. Matthew gives two names for the Christ child. One is Jesus-the Hebrew verb for save. Placing him in the traditions of Joshua and Isaiah and Hosea, all who's names also mean save. All persons who saved their people. But there is also a new name given-Emmanuel-God-with-us. Saying that in the Christ child God will work a new way in the world. It is a reminder that God works throughout all creation, and will continue to enter into our lives in new and unexpected ways. It is ultimately the reminder that the Christ child comes to save us, for we cannot do that on our own. The brightly glowing neon signs on storefront churches, and on some crosses propped at the top of church steeples have it right-Jesus Saves. Throughout all history God has come offering salvation to God's people-through Noah, and Moses and Miriam, Rebecca and Rachel, Isaac and Jeremiah and Isaiah on and on goes the list. And in the coming of the Christ child, God offers a new way of salvation, and will continue to be with us, even to the end of the age. God does not watch us from a distance, but it right here with us, even one of us when need be. And for that we can listen with assurance as we hear in the whispers of our dreams, and in the murmurs of days: "Do not be afraid, I am with you."