The grind of life, the monotonous routine, the boredom, and the sense of aimless striving can grip even the most optimistic and hopeful person; even, or perhaps especially, at this time of year. With the dawn of Christmas morning just around the corner, our lives of constant struggles come rushing headlong into ancient family traditions and obligations which must be done without any thought or reflection, just obeyed. Christians and non-Christians alike have well-developed traditions, memories from their childhood, and beloved meals that make Christmas… Christmas. We rarely question them; we just do them. We do not have time to think about them in the abstract. We do not consider their value or even attempt to critique them. Newlyweds will often feel this uneasiness when they try to merge two family traditions into one. What stays and what goes? What is off limits and what can be reconsidered? Yet, there are moments, perhaps they are rare, but there are moments in a person’s life which call into question many of the given practices of our lives. Suddenly, our routines and traditions become suspect.

Sometimes, this comes in the form of tragedy. It could be the new widow who now wonders what it is all about as they search for meaning and purpose without their spouse by their side. Do they continue the traditions? Do they still mean the same thing? Is it all too painful? Is it time to begin something new? What was sure and well-defined is now open to new discussion. Or it could be the soldier returning home from war, having witnessed the harsh brutality of humanity. Such experiences call into question a lot about our life and routines. They may even long for the old days, but they know they cannot get back to them. Nothing will ever be the same again. It all has a different flavor, impact, and importance. Then again, it does not have to be a tragedy. It could be the opposite. It could be a young man who falls in love. It is a love which changes his life so much that everything he knows and has developed up to that point is called into question. Overnight, he becomes a protector and provider. He wants to care for her no matter the cost. It changes everything, and he could not be happier that it has.

Quite often, the reason these experiences change things so dramatically is because they become the lens through which we navigate and interpret our world. For instance, think of a young woman who first becomes a mother. She had one life, one way of seeing the world before giving birth, and a whole new one after giving birth. In fact, she is a different person. Sure, she has the same name and memories, but now she is a protector and provider. She nurtures and cares for this helpless child and she will hold him, sing to him, laugh with him, and begin to see the world anew. She will interpret the world according to motherhood, according to the obstacles and challenges facing her newborn son. Because of this new way of seeing, the old routines and preconceived notions of how the world works may no longer apply as new paths open up.

Now, I want to suggest that Christmas is a moment like this, a moment which changes everything, a moment not just for one person here or there scattered around the world, but for all mankind. It is a moment when we see the world anew, and the old ways of interpreting things no longer hold. Even before the birth of the Christ Child in the city of Bethlehem, we are prepared for this radical and life-changing thing that is about to happen. Mary goes to see Elizabeth, who happens to be pregnant with John the Baptist, the one who signals the arrival of the Lamb of God, and even in her womb, John does his work. When Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting, the child leaps in her womb. “Blessed are you among women,” she says, “and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

“The mother of my Lord.” Think on those words for a moment: The mother of our Lord. Our Lord, our God, our Creator, was born. Of course, we all know this. It is part and parcel to the Christian faith. Jesus is God in human flesh, God born of a woman, or as we confess in the Creed each Sunday, “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.” But let us appreciate how this changes everything. It transforms how we see the world, how we interpret our relationships, and how we find meaning in our day-to-day activities. You are baptized into the child born of Mary. You are disciples of the Creator who knows what it is to breathe the air of His own creation. You are a follower of a God who is not just far off and distant but comes near and goes all the way to seek and save the lost.

The coming of God in human flesh is the interpretive lens through which we see and understand our world. Our God is a God who cares, a God who intercedes, a God who promises something more than an eternal grind of sin and decay. And Mary, the mother of our Lord, takes up this incredible work of our God and sings the beautiful hymn. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.” Her confession graciously lays out how Christmas changes everything for those who think of God only as a distant tyrant or uncaring Creator. She says He has seen the humble estate of His servant. He sees the lowly and intercedes on their behalf. The Mighty One does wonderful things for the humble. His mercy pours out on those who fear Him from generation to generation.

This work turns the world upside down. Just as those who fear Him are shown mercy, those who stand proud and arrogant before His throne are scattered and confused in their hearts. The mother of our Lord gives us the words we need to understand how everything is turning over. The almighty God will bring down the mighty ones from their thrones and exalt those of humble estate. He will fill the hungry with good things, and the rich will be sent empty away. So, now we see the world anew. The Kingdom of God does not equate with the rich and powerful. Rather, our God chooses to work under the form of opposites. He works through the lowly and weak things of this world. He works through the cross and tomb. He works in suffering and shame. This means you, in your suffering and pain, are not far from God. You are not cut off from His Kingdom, for it is precisely for those who have nothing to boast about, for the broken-hearted sinners of the world that Jesus came.

The mother of our Lord reminds us how this magnificent work of God is the fulfillment of His promises. What is happening, what Christmas is all about, is a God who is faithful and true, who does what He says. Mary sings, “He has helped His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to His offspring forever.”  All of human history, since humanity fell into sin, has been moving toward this moment, toward the arrival of God in human flesh. This is the narrative of your salvation, the account of your inclusion in the Kingdom of the Father. It is the story of God’s great and sacrificial love for you. It is love for the least, for the hurting, and for the scared and anxious.

This is your moment to see the world anew. As you go through your days, as you get mired down in the routines and traditions of man, know you do so as the children of God. You are heirs to eternal life. You have a God who has called you by name and has promised a new Heaven and a new Earth. Each day is not a day absent the promises of God, but a day lived in them. Go, therefore, knowing you are loved and you are forgiven, for you are the saints of God.