December 9, 2007
(Second Sunday of Advent)

The Christ Heist

By The Very Rev. Terry White, Dean

Isaiah 11:1-10  •  Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19  •  Romans 15:4-13  •  Matthew 3:1-12
(From The Lectionary Page)

Somebody stole baby Jesus.

You may have seen the news reports this week about the baby Jesus statue that was stolen from a Nativity scene on a public square in a West coast city. Prior to this Christ heist, the baby Jesus statue was the centerpiece of a large and intricate manger set up in the square. The usual suspects were all included: Mary, Joseph, an angel, three wise men bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, two shepherds, a camel, and nine lambs and sheep. The manger itself was a large wooden structure and there was real hay all over the place. If there was ever a scene that made you want to belt out "O Come All Ye Faithful," this was it.

And then somebody stole baby Jesus.

On the surface of things, this theft was a tragedy, an insult to the Christian faith. On the surface of things, this theft was an act of sacrilege, an act that proved that nothing is sacred anymore. And on the surface of things, we are horrified by this act and wonder what kind of person would stoop so low as to steal baby Jesus out of his crib.  (The Rev. Timothy Schenck, 1999 homily for this day.)

But perhaps this act was not one of malice, but of desperation. Perhaps the one responsible needs God so much, is so deeply wounded, so profoundly confused, and not knowing where to find Jesus any longer, took the statue simply because he or she needed a tangible sign that God has come among us.

I am willing to bet that just about every one of us can relate to that possibility. At some point in our journey of faith, perhaps even right now, we crave what Christ alone can give us.  This is what Advent is about: speaking our deepest needs, speaking what this world of ours needs most, and committing to God’s vision for our own lives and for the world.

Isaiah describes the Peaceable Kingdom. Utter nonsense in human history, from the moment of our rebellion in the Garden of Eden until today.  The might of God’s peace is still untried.
The peaceable kingdom. We can paint the scene in our minds as Isaiah describes three pairs of animals: wolf and lamb, leopard and kid, calf and lion. Hearing this lesson this time around, it struck me that not only is Isaiah pairing together predator and a meek victim, but also a mature adult animal and an innocent younger animal.

The prophet is telling us that peace is like a lamb, kid, and calf: hunted, slaughtered, and devoured before it can mature and reproduce. That will always be the fate that peace suffers, unless you and I both believe and act differently. The way things are today, peace rarely makes it out of infancy. Treaties among nations, and treaties among family members, are broken before the proverbial ink is dry. Around the globe peace is the exception, and that may be true in many of our lives this morning.

That was not how creation began, but it is the pattern we have accepted and supported.
There is an old cartoon that says, "Do not try to teach a pig to sing—it wastes your time and it annoys the pig."

John the Baptist was not familiar with that caption. What a figure and what a message!  Going back to that manger scene on the West Coast and in your own home, John the Baptist doesn’t fit easily. A wilderness man, dressed appropriately for the desert, he probably would have scared the animals in the manger and may well have smelled worse. While others sing Silent Night, he shouts, “You bunch of snakes.  Your lives must change. Don’t lie to yourself and do not lie to God. Repent. Live differently. Change now. You will be judged by God for how you used your gifts, your talents, your energy, your time, and your money. Your pedigree means nothing, your ancestry, your address, your bank account.

But John is not holier than thou, he is not judging us books by our covers.  He is saying: You know your life is not what you want it to be. For God’s sake, for the sake of God’s people, and for your own sake, repent. Change. Let the fire of God’s love burn in you; otherwise, you judge yourselves.

We’ve seen what our actions can lead to in this life, both when we live faithfully and when we live sinfully. John is not a cozy manger figure, but his message is godly and holds before us health and salvation.

A few days after the statue of the baby Jesus was stolen, police received a tip on where the figure could be found, locked up, undamaged, and returned without a ransom note. The statue of the Christ Child is now back in the manger, bolted down, according to news reports. (Ibid.)

But according to Letters to the Editor printed in the local paper, the Christ Heist served several purposes, including reminding the faithful that the image of the Christ Child is not confined to a creche display. Indeed, God’s Holy presence is everywhere, in all people, and the greater tragedy is not recognizing the Lord in all people.

That is why, John the Baptist proclaims, we are to live boldly and ashamedly as God’s people.  And, John further warns, there are consequences for living other than according to God’s vision: peace struggles to reach maturity, people suffer, greed dominates, and we cease to live but merely exist, without a sense of joy, purpose, and inner peace.

May we hear the promises and warnings of the prophets. Isaiah and the Baptist plead with us.  Seek the image of Christ, serve Christ, and enter into the life that no one can steal.