On December 24th, the first Christmas Eve service in current memory at PMC, Tim Reardon reflected on Isaiah 9:2-7, where light is prophesied will dawn on a people walking in darkness; and Matt 2:1-3, 9-12, when magi, or wise men, follow the light of a star in the time of King Herod.

The reflection that was provided by the heavens for tonight was just a little too perfect. Here we are in the midst of a pandemic, a seeming darkness and what do we see in the sky? A Christmas star! I imagine some you took this in on Monday night. There was just a short window between sunset and the setting of the “star” over the horizon. And of course, it wasn’t an actual star, but the alignment of two planets, Jupiter and Saturn.

This year, our Christmas star came during the winter solstice, illuming the sky amid the darkest days of the year. And there is of course something poetic about that. Now, I don’t want to ruin this for you, if you didn’t know, but it is unlikely that Dec 25th is Jesus’s actual birthday. Nevertheless, there is something right about Christmas’s place too within this rhythm of Creation, right after the winter solstice. Amid the darkest days of the year, when light seems to be disappearing from the world, a turning happens. Amid our darkest days a light has appeared!

In our passage for today, the star illumines the way for the magi, but they still need to recalibrate their expectations. Their world is governed by those in power, in fact this is even how Matthew tells time… what time is it, it is during the reign of Herod! And the Magi, assuming they know where the newborn king should be (and we all know what happens when you assume), do not follow the star to its end, but go rather to the power-center of the region, Jerusalem, to find those who dwell in palaces, to Herod who rules by Roman allowance, who maintains power through brutal and often unpredictable violence.

But the newborn Messiah is not there! Jesus is not born in a palace not among riches and worldly power, but among the people, regular people at a modest house in Bethlehem. That is where a light shines forth, not from the darkness and the violence of powers and palaces. And among the people Jesus makes a home.

Hear more via video or audio linked below, as Tim describes a current “It’s a Wonderful Life” story, one of a current need of home, yet current light shining among us in various forms of sharing and love.