I
saw a post on Facebook that just cracked me up – pictures of tacky nativity
scenes. You can’t believe what people will use to create Nativity scenes. I’m
not talking about beautiful scenes like the one on our communion table. I
talking about nativity scenes carved out of Spam or ones where all the figures
are rubber duckies. Tacky.
But
you have to wonder what is it about the nativity scene that compels people to
recreate the image out of whatever they have at hand. I tell you what I think.
I think there is something so controversial, so outrageous about the birth of
Christ that it can only be captured in the most outrageous of ways.
Ok,
I can see you rolling your eyes. There is nothing more mainstream, more run of
the mill, more non-controversial than an image of the birth of Jesus. I mean,
don’t you see them everywhere? Why would there be nativity scenes on courthouse
lawns if the meaning of the Jesus’ birth was anything less than perfectly
acceptable and proper?
But
everything about a nativity scene breaks down barriers and creates
contradictions. First there is the scandal of Mary becoming pregnant before her
marriage to Joseph was complete and Joseph deciding not to divorce her. Here
was a young couple that had chosen to follow God even if it meant being
separated from family.
Then,
we have the Wise Men who traveled from far off countries. They came to honor
Jesus but they also represent a breaking down of national and religious
barriers.
The
whole scene is set in a stable. A dirty, stinky stable filled with dirty,
stinky sheep, cattle, goats and whatever else. But in the nativity, even the
animals have a place and the barrier between humans and animals is broken down.
Most
startling, perhaps, are the angels and the shepherds. The shepherds were at the
lowest end of society – hard living, nitty gritty sort of guys. But the angel
chorus – God’s messengers – came to proclaim the good news to the shepherds.
Here is a contradiction of the divine breaking in on the most human.
Everything
about nativity scenes break barriers and obstacles in a way that foreshadows
the Kingdom of God that Jesus would proclaim. A Kingdom of peace, justice,
equality, joy, purpose, meaning and love.
And
the centerpiece of the nativity scene is the Christ child in a manger – the
greatest contradiction of all. In that tiny, helpless baby was the salvation of
all creation. In the tiny, helpless baby was the fullness of God who entered
into humanity.
Make
no mistake. Nativity scenes are dangerous, counter-cultural icons that challenge
everything we think we know about how the world works.
But
that was 2,000 years ago. So long ago. What does it have to do with you and me?
Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. Now I’m not sure it happened exactly like
this, but I know it’s true . . .
“Mel,
can you at least get the music to play?”
It
was bad enough to be working, shorthanded, for twelve hours in a truck stop
restaurant while a blizzard blew outside, but the static that had been coming
over the sound system for the last two hours was about to make Rita Lou crazy.
Rita Lou was the lone waitress that day at the Prairie Flower Truck Stop and
Mel was both the owner and cook. Both had come in at their usual time but as
Rita Lou’s shift was supposed to end, her replacement called in and told her
that the weather was so bad, she couldn’t get out of her driveway. Rather than
leave Mel shorthanded, and since the snow was blowing so bad she couldn’t drive
home, Rita Lou agreed to stay and work. Mel lived in a double wide trailer out
back and he spent more time behind the grill than at home so it didn’t much
matter to him that his replacement couldn’t make it either. That had been four
hours earlier and it didn’t look like things would change anytime soon.
As
Rita Lou refilled the coffee cups of the truckers at the front counter, she
heard the opening strains of a Christmas carol. “Ah, that’s more like it.”
Slowly, the mood of the truck stop crowd changed as hissing and static was
replaced by “In the Bleak Mid-winter”. It isn’t a carol you hear too often, she
thought, but described the surrounding countryside perfectly. “In the bleak
mid-winter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a
stone; snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, in the bleak mid-winter,
long ago.” Outside the Prairie Flower Truck Stop the cold wind blew the snow
sideways across miles and miles of open country. About six hours earlier, the
State Patrol had shut down the roads and any travelers still out took refuge
any place they could. The huge lighted sign outside could normally be seen for
miles, but with the snow it could hardly be seen for more than a quarter mile.
Instead, the light reflected on the driving snow and lent a golden glow to the
parking lot. The parking lot soon filled as blizzard refugees took shelter at
the Prairie Flower.
The
Christmas carol ended and “O Come, All Ye Faithful” began as Rita Lou was
delivering the order to a family sitting in the far booth. Mother, Father, teen
age daughter, younger son. The daughter was upset that she had been unable to
get to the basketball tournament and was even more worried about the rest of
her team mates. The boy didn’t make a sound and the only evidence that he was
even alive was the rhythmic moving of his head. If Rita Lou hadn’t seen the
wires from the boys coat to his ears, she might have been worried something was
quite wrong. As it was, the boy’s whole world was the music streaming from his
Iphone to his ears. Mother and Father were talking in hushed tones, so as not
to further disturb the kids, about what to do.
Rita
Lou was refilling coffee for a booth full of truckers as the final stanza of
the Christmas carol played. “See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle,
leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze.” She didn’t know about flocks, but these
truckers had left their big rigs idling in the parking lot while they sat
inside, drinking coffee, telling stories and waiting out the blizzard. Guys
like that rarely had the opportunity to sit and talk with friends. The rest of
us take a bit of friendship and camaraderie for granted but long haul truckers
spend day after day, night after night by themselves on the open road. Guess
they were like those shepherds all by themselves in the hills around Bethlehem.
The
next table was a bit of a challenge. Seated around the table were three men and
a woman from the next town over. Nice folks, really, but they had been
returning from a class for volunteer firefighters when they’d been snowed in.
So close to home and yet here they were, waiting for her to bring them burgers
and fries. She had the unwelcome task of telling the firefighters that all Mel
had left back in the kitchen was pancake batter. She’d served the last of the
burgers, as well as bacon, sausage or any other meat and the last eggs had just
been set down in front of Iphone boy. The firefighters took the news in stride
although they jokingly warned not to call if the truck stop mysteriously had a
fire.
A
young couple came through the door just as the Christmas music changed to “What
Child Is This?” They told Rita Lou their car had been running rough for the
last hour and stopped running altogether just as they pulled into the parking
lot. The young man asked if there was a mechanic and Rita Lou told them the
mechanic wouldn’t be in until after the storm broke. Even if he was around and
could fix their car, they wouldn’t be going anywhere since the road was closed.
They might as well take a booth and have some pancakes. As they nodded and
started to the booth Rita Lou saw the young woman stop for just a moment and
tighten her grip on the young man’s arm. “Are you okay, Miss?” Rita Lou asked.
“She’s
fine. Just tired.” Replied the young man. He explained as they sat down, and
Rita Lou poured them each a cup of coffee, that they were on the way to his
parent’s house. They were expecting their first child and his National Guard
unit was deploying next week. As the young woman – just a girl, actually –
removed her parka Rita Lou thought to herself that, judging by her size, they’d
better get to his folks soon.
The
music changed and the familiar words, “We Three Kings of Orient are, bearing
gifts we traverse afar.” came through the speakers. Rita Lou lost her balance
for just a moment as she was refilling drinks for Iphone boy, basketball girl,
Mom and Dad. Mom was on her feet in a flash to steady Rita Lou. “It’s nothing.
Just tired. Been on my feet since 6 this morning.”
“My
name’s Jill. You sit down and let me take over coffee patrol.” Mom said. Rita
Lou protested a bit, but had to admit that it felt awfully good to sit down for
a moment.”
“Rita
Lou,” Mel bellowed from the back. “I need some help. The dishwasher couldn’t
make it in and I’m drowning in dirty dishes.”
“You
sit.” Jill told Rita Lou. “Mike, why don’t you and Janie help in the back and
Walt, could you clear dishes from the other tables?”
“No,
really,” Rita Lou started to protest.
“Relax.”
Said Mike to Rita Lou. Looking at his daughter he said, “Come on, Princess,
we’ve got KP”
Rita
Lou was astonished as the family swung into action. Jill went from table to
table filling coffee cups and chatting. Walt, with no hint of his Iphone, went
to work bussing tables while Mike and Janie washed dishes. It wasn’t too long
before Mel was teaching Janie the fine art of pancake flipping.
It
went on this way through most of the night. About 3:00 AM one of the truckers
looked over to the young soldier and his wife. ”Hey kid, what did you say was
wrong with your car?”
“Don’t
know. Just stopped running.”
“Come
on guys. I’m tired of sitting and it’s too cold to go out to my rig. Let’s push
the car into the shop and see what we can do. That ok with you, Mel?” Mel waved
and six truckers stood up and went out into the night to see what they could do
about fixing the young couple’s car.
The
young woman moaned and whispered to her husband who ran up to Rita Lou. “I
think the baby’s coming. Is there a doctor? Can you call 911?”
Across
the room, the table of fire fighters stood up. “If you called 911, you’d get
us. With the roads snowed closed, no one is getting here and we’re not going
anywhere. We’re all trained in medical emergencies. Is there somewhere we can
get her with a bit more privacy?”
“But
do you know what you’re doing? Have you ever delivered a baby?”
“Relax,
son. We’ve got it under control.”
They
carried the girl to a back room. In the kitchen, Jill and Rita Lou began to
round up dishtowels to use for baby blankets.
The
minutes became hours and as the first streaks of daylight gladdened the sky, a
cry of a baby was heard. Everyone in the truck stop cheered until Janie shushed
them, “You’ll scare the baby.”
Over
the sound system the strains of the “Alleluia” chorus was heard and through the
door came a couple men. “Any coffee left?” they shouted to Rita Lou.
“Sssssssh!”
replied the truck stop family.
“Sorry.”
The men answered. We’ve been plowing the roads all night. The snow’s quit and
the roads are open to the county seat.”
Everyone
cheered as quietly as they could. Walt ran back to tell the fire fighters.
Jill
was pouring coffee for the snowplow drivers and setting plates of pancakes
before them as the young soldier came out. “It’s a boy!” And the people cheered
again.
The
truckers came up and told him his car was running. “Nothing much wrong.” The
young man was told.
“What
do I owe you?”
“Forget
it. Least we could do for a man about to leave his family and serve overseas.”
One
of the paramedics came out and took the young soldier aside. “The baby is fine,
but we’d all feel better if you’d take him to the hospital for a once over.
We’ll drive you and your family. Someone will drive your car over to the
hospital.”
“Let’s
all go.” The truckers stood up, thanked Rita and Mel, and went out to their
trucks. Slowly, the rest of the dining room cleared out as winter travelers
went back to their cars and continued their journeys that had been interrupted
by a snow storm. They felt a strange mix of relief to be back on their way, and
regret for leaving the family they’d found in the Prairie Flower Truck Stop.
Some
say a Christmas miracle occurred in the truck stop that night. Perhaps the
miracle was that no one froze to death in that storm. Rita Lou and Mel would
say later that it was a miracle the coffee held out and they didn’t run out of
pancakes until after the snow plow drivers had eaten their fill. Others would
point with certainty that the miracle was that a baby was born safely in the
humblest of places, the back room of a truck stop. For years, people would come
by the truck stop, give Rita Lou a hug, and share stories of how a truck stop full
of strangers had miraculously become family on a cold, blizzardy night.
Mel
and Rita Lou’s replacements finally showed up, thirty hours late. They walked
outside together and marveled at the sunshine and bright blue sky. A thick coat
of snow covered as far as they could see and for a moment it looked like the
entire world was clean, and pure and good.
As
Mel walked Rita Lou to her car to make sure it would start, Rita Lou turned and
said, “I never did thank you for getting that music fixed. Those Christmas
carols really helped out.”
“Me?
I couldn’t fix it. I thought you did.”
A
noise behind them startled them both. A noise they’d both later say sounded
like the rustle of angel wings. They turned just in time to see white wings,
far up in the sky and hear the sounds of “Joy To The World.”
Angels?
Shepherds? Christmas miracles, today? What do you think? 2,000 years ago God
broke down the barriers between heaven and earth and entered into history in
Jesus Christ. Even today, Jesus' people break down the barriers that divide
person from person to proclaim the coming of God's Kingdom. Even in places as
mundane as a snowed in truck stop. My Christmas prayer for you is that you will
witness and share the miracle of God’s love this Christmas season.
