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Sermon preached
at Bradford Cathedral
Midnight Mass 2007 Titus 3:4-7 and Luke 2:8-20 Look and see and wonder |
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"Mary treasured all these things
and pondered them in her heart." The birth of any baby is a cause
for wonder. It makes many weep. I had the privilege of being present at
the birth of all 4 of our children, and each time I shed tears. The entry
into the world of a new human life is described as a miracle - and so
it is. Re-creating is the closest we get to creating, so it brings us
close to THE Creator. It is as though the veil is pulled back and something
of heaven is seen on earth. When that happens many are filled with wonder,
but some miss it. The glory of the Creator can be glimpsed in His Creation,
and we are invited to look and see and wonder. When the golden sun sinks stealthily over the Western sea, many are filled with wonder - something of heaven has been glimpsed on earth. But some miss it. When in Spring, the beak opens and the chick's mother drops food into it, few are likely to witness this wonder, but the miracle is there. Here is a delightful little poem on the same theme. It is called "Look and See"… It is by Mary Oliver. "This morning, at waterside, a sparrow flew to a water rock and landed, by error, on the back of an eider duck; lightly it fluttered off, amused. The duck, too, was not provoked, but, you might say, was laughing.This afternoon a gull sailing over our house was casually scratching its stomach of white feathers with one foot as it flew.Oh Lord, how shining and festive is your gift to us, if we only look and see." The Creator has left His mark on His Creation in many and various ways, and we are left to wonder - if we trouble to look and see. And over the centuries some seek to re-present the glory of the divine in human design, especially in grand architecture. Friends were telling us how they took their daughter (who was then 4) to Reims Cathedral in Northern France. Before they went in, they explained that those who built it tried to express something of the majesty and glory of God in the building. They blindfolded her and led her in. Once inside they allowed her to Look and See. Her eyes widened and she just said "Wow"! At that moment, for her, the veil was pulled back and something of heaven was seen on earth. When we reach adulthood we need children to remind us to Look and See, not to miss those 'Wow' moments. Of course, that sense of wonder and mystery is there at Christmas for children. As we gather here tonight how many children are lying in their beds too excited to sleep? Last week I asked Harry who has just had his 10th birthday if Christmas was less exciting now than when he was younger. He said, Yes it was. Why? I asked. Well it's because you know the truth. About what Harry? The truth about Father Christmas. Once you know, it's not the same. I'm not sure I knew what he was talking about but it set ME wondering. Do we know too much as adults? Is that why the magic of Christmas Eve is not quite the same? Or might it be that we THINK we know what is to be believed and what is not, so that our confidence keeps us from being open to mystery and therefore from wonder? "Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart." Mary was little more than a child herself (maybe that's why she was chosen). She still had that sense of wonder and wondering. She 'treasured' these things - they were precious and not to be missed, even if she couldn't understand them or define them. Something in her knew that heaven was touching earth in the birth of her child. She was able to Look and see and wonder. So too were the shepherds… and the wise men. But some missed it. Herod, for instance. He knew what he knew and no other king was going to threaten his position. In the arrival of this child the veil was pulled back and something of heaven was seen on earth. But Herod could not see - there was a veil of pride and fear which prevented him from seeing. He missed it. And so it is, sadly, for some today. But many down the ages, have allowed their knowing to be disturbed. They have sat loose to their pride and said, "Maybe this deserves for me to look and see and ponder". One such was Charles Wesley, who has been remembered recently because last week was the 300th anniversary of this birth. He wrote over 9,000 poems. Many of them were turned into hymns, including 'Hark the herald angels sing.' Another of his hymns you may have sung at a wedding: 'Love divine all loves excelling.' The last verse of this hymn is a prayer to be taken into the closer presence of God. Wesley knows, because he has experienced it, that getting closer to the truth does not diminish your sense of wonder - it does the opposite. In the presence of divine love there is only one response possible. 'Let us see thy great salvation…' And as we look and see, we realise how very little we knew, and we are (in Wesley's words) 'lost in wonder, love and praise.'"Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart." Let us follow her example. Let's not miss what is on offer in this wonderful gift, this gift that makes us wonder. As we have come tonight to celebrate His birth let's ask Him, the One who is Truth and Love to cause our eyes to widen and hearts to receive Him. Let's put aside the pride of our knowing and ask him to fill us with wonder at His coming among us. Let's ponder that now, and as do so we listen to a North American carol 'I wonder as I wander…'
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