The Invitation
Author: Joan Harman
December 03, 2021
"The
Invitation" by Oriah Mountain Dreamer was the foundational inspiration for
some discussion at the women's retreat held this fall.
This poem inspired me
to use the poet's format and think about the "Christmas Stories" in
Matthew and Luke, to think about my own anticipation of Christ's coming.
It doesn't bother me
for one nanosecond if the calendars we use are theologically or historically
incorrect about the exact date and year of Jesus' birth.
What I do know is that
because of Jesus, the world has changed more than in just notation of dates.
The results of Jesus' life and teachings pervade the secular world whether you
register the year as AD (Anno Domini) or ce (common era, meaning the years
after Christ's birth).
It doesn't matter if
Herod was King of Judea and Quirinius governed Syria, for both were subject to
the wish and whim of the Caesar,
What interests me is
how Matthew starts his Jesus Family Tree with David, a king.
Since these events
happened so long ago, I can only accept Matthew's and Luke's reports. If indeed
Gabriel, an archangel, appeared in
person to the priest, Zacharias, and Jesus' mother or in a dream to Jesus'
father......here's what I know in my life time.
I have read recently that a sociologist is
leading at least one group weekly in MA to discuss dreams to try to see if what
our minds encounter in dreams might give us clues for ways/strategies for
solving community and national problems.
Just because Matthew
knew the Old Testament reassurance of Isaiah (7:14) for a frightened Ahaz, King
of Judah, that a child will be born and named Immanuel,
How does that
translate for me to God With Us (Matthew 1:23) in this time when God seems so
absent to many?
How do we serve those
who are hurting in ways that show God when we claim to be God's hands?
I'm curious to know
why the name Jesus, Yeshua, was given to the baby at the naming ceremony.....
the equivalent of Jim Smith in Palestine..........
If it really was to
remind the first readers that it was the name of the favorite son of patriarch,
Jacob, then why is Judah the son named in the genealogy?....
I want to know if naming Jacob's son Judah in
both Matthew's and Luke's genealogies had to be selected to get the Holy Family
to a town in Judea for the birth at the time of census?
What does come to mind
is the Breughel painting of the grey, snowy day showing a large number of
darkly clad villagers involved in a variety of daily activities and a
characteristic pair (one slumping astride a donkey) entering a que where a mob
of people is already bunched near the door to a drab building.
Since my husband's
parents had delivered their fifth child, unaided, because of a severe
snowstorm......
I find it possible to
think of Mary and Joseph having to deliver their own child.........
Or was there a woman
to help among the other caravaners squashed into that stable with them? If that is never mentioned, could it be that
the people in the stable that night were eager to get out early? Maybe no one
else was there when the shepherds were finally able to leave their sheep as day
was breaking..........
It doesn't matter how
many of the rich and famous Matthew includes in the birth story............
If we set aside Dec.
28 in Christian liturgical calendars to celebrate the Holy Innocents from
Matthew 2, then what should we be doing about the innocents now being killed
randomly or with purpose? What can be done about those 10 or more world leaders
right now whose actions and policies take the lives of many young people?
I want to know if
those bearers of gifts were ancient sky watchers, what other astral phenomena
had they noted?
I want to know what
truths are being revealed today to those who watch the skies from earth-based
and space-based instruments.?
Blessings,
Joan K. Harman <><<><
joanharmank@gmail.com
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