He is Just There – Listen to his Message: “I am here for you”.
Christmas is a time when we celebrate something really amazing and yet apparently when we come to the crib it seems so simple. What we see is a tiny vulnerable child who is simply there – that is all that he does or that he can do. The child Jesus doesn’t give us any great speech and he can’t do anything much. But by being there, this small powerless radiant child is actually saying something very deep to us. This child is God himself there for us. And without words he’s making a strong statement: “I am here for you”; “I am here for each and every person”; “I have come to be with you”; “I am here for you”.
And because of Jesus we realise God is not far away; we don’t have to be afraid of God; that when we approach God we will find a big heart of mercy saying: “don’t worry, I am here for you”.
Recently Pope Francis tell a story that I liked. He said that last year, a group of young people wanted to put on a musical on the theme of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. They did a great job. In the last part of the musical, the prodigal son goes to a friend and says: “I can’t go on like this. I want to go back home, but I’m afraid my father will close the door in my face and throw me out. I’m afraid and I don’t know what to do”. His friend said: “But your father is a good man!” “Yes, but you know… my brother is there, who is a hothead”. Then his friend tells him: “I’ll tell you what you can do. Write to your father and tell him that you want to come home but that you’re afraid he won’t welcome you. Say to your father that if he wants to welcome you, he should put a white handkerchief on the highest window of the house. In that way, your father would be able to tell this son whether he was welcome or not”. What happens next in the musical is that we see the son on his way to his father’s house. And when turns the corner near his home he sees his father’s house and its full of white handkerchiefs! Full!
Pope Francis commented: “This is what God is like for us. This is God for us. He never tires of forgiving. And when the son begins to speak: “Father, I did…”, the father says, “Hush” and covers his mouth”.
Yes, the Father is delighted to see him come back home.
And maybe that explains why we so much like to look at the child in the crib. He’s not saying anything. He’s not making demands on us. He seems delighted we’re there. And he is saying that to us: “it’s great you are. I am here for you. Come home to God”.