An American Nativity

Tonight we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us. Two thousand years ago God poured God-self into human form so that we would know first hand the depth of God’s love and grace of God's son Jesus. When we think of his birth we imagine magical manger scenes with angels, shepherds and wise men all centered around a holy family in awe. We forget the details surrounding the birth of our Savior.

We have forgottend that Mary and Joseph were dirt poor and that Mary had gotten pregnant out of wedlock. We have forgotten that they were forced to travel to a chaotic town where the roads were dusty and crowded with travelers. We we have forgotten that on this night, they became homeless because they could not find a room in an inn and so Mary had to give birth to Jesus in the only shelter they could find, a smelly dirty barn where animals ate and slept.

Yes Jesus was born in a lowly, humble situation however this does not take away from the wonder of his birth. In fact it shows us just how amazing God’s grace to us is all about. Imagine if you will what the nativity scene would look like if Jesus were born right now in our time and place. Imagine along with me an American Nativity.

In a small town in New Hampshire, lived a young couple Jose and Maria, immigrants from Central America whose families ran away from Honduras to escape the bone crushing poverty and violence in the streets. Jose and Maria had lived in North America for over a year but in order to remain in the United States they needed to apply their green cards at the closest Immigration office which was in Lyndhurst New Jersey.

Jose was a day laborer and he was able to get lots of work through Labor Ready but he didn’t make enough to afford an apartment for he and Maria to live in and Maria was pregnant. Maria was barely 18, very young and very naïve. When Maria became pregnant, she told Jose that he would be the child’s father, but he wasn’t the child’s father. Maria told him that an angel told her that the spark that began the life of their child was from God. Jose thought Maria was crazy for believing that God would conceive a child with her but he Jose stayed with Maria because he loved her so.

Jose and Maria used all their money to buy bus tickets to Lyndhurst New Jersey and made haste as they journeyed all night to their destination. They arrived late into the night and needed a place to sleep and cleanup before their appointment the next morning at the Immigration office. They went to the nearest homeless shelter and stood in line for a bed, but the shelter filled up before they got to the door. The man that was standing behind them in line took pity upon the couple and told them that he could take them to a tent city down by the river where they could spend the night. Jose and Maria gratefully accepted his invitation.

When they got to the camp Jose and Maria’s new friend yelled out to the residents of the tent city, “Hey I gotta lady in a family way here, we need to set up a camp for them, can anyone spare anything for their camp.” One man gave them his tarp, another gave them a portable heater, and yet another said they could sleep in his tent while he doubled up with a buddy in another, then a lady gave them a couple of comforters she had stored in her tent. As Jose and the men were setting up their camp, Maria’s water broke. It was certain that she will give birth that night.

In the tent city by the river Maria gave birth to a skinny little baby boy. She named him Jesus, the name that she was told by the angel to give this special child. As she swaddled him in one of Jose’s shirts a bright star appeared over their tent.

At another homeless camp not so far away, a motley group of hard living homeless men were warming themselves around a fire. While they were passing around a bottle of vodka, they noticed a star above the other homeless camp down the river. Then suddenly in a flash an angel stood before them, surrounded by light and glory. The men were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day is a liberator, who is the son of God. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a tent. And suddenly there was with the angel a choir of angels singing “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to all.”

When the angels disappeared into heaven, the homeless men said to one another, “Let’s go to the camp down the river, where the star shines and see this child of God.” And so this motley crew of homeless men ran down the river to the homeless camp where Jesus was born and where they found him wrapped in a shirt lying in a tent.

Every year at this time we re-tell the story of Jesus’ birth to remind ourselves just how incredible it was that God came to us in human form, That he came to us as a helpless little baby born into a poor family to show us how God can turn miserable circumstances around to the greatest glory the world. For this baby born of humble circumstance will grow up to share with us the good news of God’s love and grace freely given to us.

“On a cold moonlit night,

In the sleepy town of Bethlehem,

Born in silence,

in holiness,

In beauty and tenderness...

It all came together one precious moment,

The promise, the purpose, the gift of our Savior
For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only son
so that whosever believes in him
will not perish but have everlasting life.”[i]

May it be so. Amen.

[i] Jaci Velasquez, “One Silent Night.” Touched by an Angel The Christmas Album. New York, NY: Epic/550 Music/Sony Music Soundtrax, 1999.