Well, I don’t think I am going to burst anyone’s bubble by telling you that Jesus probably wasn’t born on December 25th. In fact, the world’s greatest theologians have absolutely no idea of the exact date when Jesus was born.
The Christian Church decided on December 25th almost 400 years after Jesus died, and they did so to coincide with a popular secular festival called Natalis Solis, which was a celebration of the birth of the sun, S-U-N.
The early Christian church took this festival of Light (this celebration of the birth of the Sun) and transformed it into a religious festival celebrating the Light of the World and the birth of the Son, S-O-N.
The Bible tells us that Christ was the first born of all of Creation. At the beginning (when God said, “Let there be Light”) there was the Christ.
That’s what Christ-mas means: that God so loved us (that God so loved the world) that God gave us of Its very Light. Its only begotten son.
The Light of the World was born in human form, not so much that we would merely worship the human form, but so that we would discover through him that the same Christ Light dwells within us, too.
Do you know what Jesus said about you? He said, “The Kingdom of God lives within you. You are the Light of the world.” Yes, YOU are!
You were born with the same Christ Light as Jesus. You just forgot it. That’s why Jesus came to us: to remind us of our Light.
And that’s why at Christmas time, we light candles and decorate Christmas trees and lampposts with multitudes of sparkling lights.
Other faith and cultural traditions also celebrate the Light during this time of year. Diwali and Hanukkah and Bodhi Day and Kwanzaa and Winter Solstice celebrations are all celebrations of the One True Light of God.
In Winter – in a time of darkness – the whole world comes together to celebrate and remember the Light, and to prepare room for it in our hearts.
And, so, may question for you on this Christmas Eve night is: “Have you prepared room at the inn so that the Light can be born in you?”
The inn is your innermost being, your inner dwelling place. Have you made room there for the Light to born in you?
If your inn – your inner dwelling place – is already full (full of worry, fear, anger, lack, jealousy, and resentment), then there’s no room for the Christ to be born in you.
Inside of you is the sacred dwelling place of the Most High, where all is calm and all is bright, all is peaceful and all is light.
God loves you so much that God gave you this gift, this place of peace and Light. This is the “Kingdom of Heaven” which Jesus said dwells within you.
We enter into this Kingdom through the Silence. Silence is God’s first language.
Scripture tells us, “Be Still and Know.” Be still and know that the Light of Christ dwells with you and within you.
That is what the name “Emmanuel” means: God is with you and within you.
The 13th Century Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, said, “God never begot but one Son. The eternal is forever begetting the only begotten.”
And, he said, “All of us are called to be Mothers of God, because God is always needing to be born.”
God is always needing to be born! It’s present tense. That’s why we don’t say, “Christ WAS born.” We say, “Christ IS born.”
That’s what Christmastime is all about. We’re not just having a birthday party for a baby born more than 2,000 years ago. We’re also making room for the Christ Light to be born in us, too.
For the word “Christian” means: “little Christs”…Children of the Light.
And, on this Christmas Eve, my friends, in the silence of the night, we wait. We wait for the Light of the World to be reborn (to be made manifest) in us.
We are called to be the Light, and the Now is the appointed time.
For, look! A Light is drawing near! Let every heart prepare him room.