70 years ago, an obscure Professor of Literature from New York State in the USA published a book. It made very little impact, but in 2011, Time Magazine included it in its list of the 100 best and most influential books written in English.
I wonder if you’ve even heard of it? The author was called Joseph Campbell and the book was the fruit of his research amongst tribal communities all over the world whose local myths and legends he sat and listened to.
What
he found, to his amazement, was that the vast majority of these folk stories
boil down to the same essential plot. And it’s this: how will our hero ever get
home against all odds? His book is called, “The Hero with a Thousand
Faces.”
Many
bestsellers and blockbuster films since the publication of that book have
deliberately picked up this theme.
Here
are just a few that you will have heard of; E.T., Star Wars, Harry Potter, The
Lion King, The Lord of the Rings, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Indiana Jones, Finding
Nemo and many more… They are all about the same thing; how do you get home?
These
books and films are hugely popular because they all awaken a profound yearning
we all have deep down – we want to be home.
There’s
no place like home. Home is where the heart is. And when you’re somewhere
strange you feel a bit happier when someone says, “Make yourself at
home.”
There
is a visceral need, felt universally amongst human beings, to get back to the refuge
of security, of familiarity, the place where we know we’re loved and accepted.
Where everyone is for you. Home sweet home.
Home,
of course, is not a safe place for everyone. The word “home” for some people
tragically stirs up emotions of anger and anxiety.
If
you know anyone who grew up in a home dominated by abuse or neglect or constant
fighting, you are painfully aware that home is not always what we know deep
down it can be and should be.
Christmas
is the time of year that the Samaritans get the most calls. Why is that?
Maybe
it’s that, for many, the perfect home displayed in heart-warming Christmas
adverts is just so far from reality that it just magnifies their sense of
loneliness and unhappiness.
Our
carols are one of the greatest treasures of the church and I love them. But I
freely admit they can romanticise the first Christmas a bit. We sing of the
“dreamy little town of Bethlehem”, of a baby that “no crying he makes”, and of
a young mother “in her maiden bliss.”
The
first Christmas is actually the story of:
• a couple with a strained relationship
• stressed and far from home
• struggling in vain to find temporary accommodation
• eventually having to settle for something totally unsuitable
• sudden contractions and harrowing labour
• no midwife or medical care on hand
• their privacy thereafter constantly interrupted by uninvited guests
And
all because some bureaucrat in Rome decided it would be a good idea to arrange
a census for a new poll tax. How thoughtful of him…
Joseph
and Mary were a long way from home (the trek from Nazareth to
Bethlehem is about 100 miles). That’s a long distance by foot, especially when
you are nine-months pregnant.
But
Jesus travelled much further than 100 miles. “He came down to earth from
heaven,” we sing.
He
left the dazzling glory of the heavenly realm and the majesty of his eternal
throne to make his home among us, as one of us. For the one who brought
galaxies into being, “tears and smiles like us he knew.”
But
is that all Christmas is? Is it just a vague message to warm the heart – God
coming to earth as one of us to affirm the dignity of human existence? It’s
actually much more than that.
So,
what is Christmas? Is it about God loving us so much that he really lowers and
demeans himself to show it? It’s really much more than that too.
We'll
never grasp just how much Christmas is good news until we see just how much the
world isn’t how it was meant to be. It’s broken, it's gone wrong; some of us
may not even know it, but the Bible says we are all spiritually far from home.
It’s why life sometimes feels empty, it’s why our relationships come under
strain and stress; it’s why God often seems far away.
The
Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1.14). The message of
Christmas is that Jesus has come in flesh and blood not just to experience our
world - but to fix it. To set it right.
Listen
to what the angel said the night Jesus was born: “I bring you good news that
will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David a
Saviour has been born to you.”
In
other words; this child, when he grows up, will make it possible for every
person on this spinning planet to have a home in a secure relationship with God
the Father. Heaven’s door is open so even the least deserving can come home to
God.
Some
people like to make Christianity so complicated, but Jesus always made things
very simple. He spoke to people using everyday words, framing his exhilarating
message in unforgettable, simple stories.
One
of the most memorable stories he told was of a young, impulsive son who walks
out on his family, and makes for the big city to have a wild old time.
But
all the time he’s partying hard and throwing his money at wine, women and song,
as he runs up debts, he cannot ignore this sickening feeling he has that no
amount of pleasure he buys is addressing the growing ache of emptiness and
loneliness he feels inside.
Before
long, he’s lost his house, got fired from his job and watched his friends
disappear one by one.
“Then”
says Jesus, “he came to his senses.” I picture him waking up in a gutter,
penniless, hung over, and wondering what happened to his trousers. He’s at rock
bottom.
“What
am I doing? Where is my life going?” Then, he
finally admits it. “This is just not working.” And this is when it finally dawns on
him. “Home was so much better than this. I was valued and felt rooted at home.
I was secure. People had time for me. I was loved. Maybe I could find my way… home.”
And
so, he becomes one of Joseph Campbell's heroes with 1,000 faces. He starts to
make his way home. You know the story; he gets back to the place he walked out on, his heart is in his
mouth, his father meets him, throws his arms round him, makes a fuss of him and
celebrates his homecoming with a great party.
Does
anyone here tonight want to come home to the Father right now? As the years
roll by, is life working for you? Is it really fulfilling the inner hungers and
deepest desires of your soul?
If
not, is it now the time - this very night - to come home where God is waiting,
to receive you and embrace you, just as you are?
Home
for Christmas...
Sermon preached at Midnight Holy Communion 2019 at All Saint's Preston on Tees
No comments:
Post a Comment