I wonder if Mary let them hold the baby? When the shepherds showed up at the manger, did she say “You can hold him if you want to”? Or when the wisemen arrived juggling the perfectly wrapped boxes of frankincense, did Joseph say, “He’s sleeping now, but you can pick him up and rock him”? At the annual Christmas staff lunch hosted by the Personnel Committee on Tuesday, we passed around baby Phoebe. At five weeks and one day, Phoebe’s soft skin, tiny hands, and tender face mesmerized us. I received her from Ashley, who got her from Corey, who got her from her mother, Katie. Halfway through feeding her a bottle, I got “the look” from Marilyn that it was time for me to pass her gently into Marilyn’s arms. How does a nine-pound baby, no crying she made, envelop our hearts and send peace through our souls just from holding her for five minutes?

Though he never had a baby, the 20th-century Catholic Priest and author Henri Nouwen captured some of what unfolds in our gentle embrace when he said “The Spirit of God is soft and gentle like a small voice or a light breeze. It is the spirit of love.” (Here and Now) Sometimes it seems like this soft aspect of God’s gentleness gets drowned out by the noise of the world. We live in a world of political bluster, blaring traffic, and dinging iPhones. During Advent, some folks feel the volume of expectations intensify as gifts, cookies, decorations and cards compete for attention. Sometimes in the world of flashing computer screens and year-end reports, we forget that God is soft and gentle.

What would call us each back to the faith born to us through the tenderness of a newborn? Light a candle. Make a cup of tea. Sit in front of the Christmas tree with all the lights off. Get up early and walk in the neighborhood before anyone is awake. Read a book to a toddler. Then read an extra one. Read the Christmas story aloud from Luke. Pray for your enemies. Give a gift to someone who doesn’t expect a thing from you. Hold hands with someone you love. Sing your favorite carol even if you cannot carry a tune. God says to you, “It’s your turn to hold the baby”.

Grace and Peace,
Carla