Another Christmas season will soon end.
With great nostalgia and sentiment we recalled the birth in Bethlehem. We set up mini stables within our churches complete with statues of cattle and oxen and wise men. For the twelve days of Christmas the baby Jesus lies in a manger to remind us of the Christmas story.
Epiphany – the visit of the Wise Men to the manger – is the official close of the Christmas season. The decorations are taken down, the tree is packed, and the statues and the Baby Jesus wrapped in newspaper or bubble wrap and put away. We return to the Ordinary Time in the liturgical year whilst in our worship Jesus returns to the Tabernacle.
It often seems to me we are missing something. Something does not seem to fit.
The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us – ” (John 1.14)
The Lord of all exchanged his glory above for humble surroundings. God desired to live amongst us – not in splendid isolation in the heavens. He did not even, in a sense, remain in the Holy of Holies – the Sanctum in the temple at Jerusalem built according to His own decree for the Ark of the Covenant.
With the Incarnation, the glory of God -The Shekinah – now resides in Jesus Christ who walked amongst his people.
He had no fixed dwelling place – “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the son of Man has no place to lay his head” was Jesus’ response to the rich young man. (Luke 9.57). The message is clear. If you wish to follow Him, you would find Him amongst his people.
Yet ironically we seem determined to put God back where we think He belongs – in cathedrals and temple edifices. The wise men found him amidst his family and Creation; Shepherds heeded the call to go to the manger. We seek Him in buildings of stone.
I do not deny our need for sacred places, sacred spaces, to help us transcend our secular world. Yet is there a vague possibility that we build our churches to satisfy OUR needs, rather than for the glory of God – the God who gave up all grandeur to get his feet dirty and walk amongst us?
As we put away the statue of Baby Jesus carefully protected with bubble wrap until next year, let us also not lock Him up in a box in a church. Rather let us go out and find him amongst this people – for he dwells amongst us still.
No Crib for a bed
Credit : https://manyalaphotography.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/the-son-of-man/#comment-158
Ramblin' Rose 
The sqare box or the tabernacle open the eyes of our faith to see Jesus living in Eucharist. He shares His life with us,fills us with grace, His love to share it with others: a great boost. Through which we can forget ourselves, love others as ‘He loved us.’
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I do agree that “He shares His life with us, fills us with grace,,…” tho not many then take that out for sharing. The Eucharist is the means by which we can be “ONE” – by which he literally and figuratively shares his life with us. Since you become what you eat, we then are truly one Body in Christ but we need to actualise our sentiments, act as One as he prayed Fr may they be one , nd move out to ‘share it with others’ – One universe eventually.
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Your message is truly inspiring. Indeed, the church is within us, but even more so the Lord said, ” if we feed the least one, we’re actually feeding Him.” This picture is heartbreaking, but do we still look for the Lord among the poor? The world is so hardhearted now. Thank you again for your post and for stopping by.
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I am challenged, by your post, to look for Him amongst and in His people. Thank you.
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Well said! Than you for sharing you insights!
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and thank you for visiting and commenting. 🙂
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So pictures just make me sad. We are living temples of God and his representatives. We are the Church and not the erected edifices. Those are just buildings to allow ease of worshipers to gather together.
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Yeah .. the picture does jolt you to sad realities. The link I have given is doing a great mission on bringing the realities to light.
And yes we are indeed the living temples ..the Body of Christ. Some day we will all be one in Him .. just as he prayed. Meantime I hope I will be stirred enough to reach out and lift up whom I can.
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