The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
The phrase “It’s not about me!” has been on my mind a lot recently. The idea that what I want should not be the driving force for everything I think, do and say is a challenging concept, and yet this “other-centered” perspective is how we are called to live as Christians. Today’s scripture reminds us that living for God and others and not becoming caught up in worldly pursuits is how Jesus calls us to follow Him. If we examine the life of Christ, we will see that He lived out the phrase “it’s not about me” to perfection, since He gives of Himself even to the point of dying for us. Although He is God, His life here on earth is not about bringing attention to Himself. He lives to do the Father’s will and give Him glory. We are called to do the same. When we take the “me” out of the center of our lives and put Christ in the center, this is when we are best able to do as Psalm 96 proclaims: “Give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name!”
In the first letter from John, he advises us saying “Do not love the world or the things of the world.”(1 John 2:15) He reminds us that when a person focuses on worldly goods, “the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15) and “the world and its enticement are passing away.” (1 John 2:17) How do we reconcile these teachings with the way that we live our lives? We need to take the “me” out of the center and put God and others there instead. God does not expect us to give away what we need to live (food, housing, clothing etc.) but when we acquire more and more “stuff” well beyond what we need, then we begin to live as though the world revolves around us. We fail to recognize that there are others whose basic needs are not being met even as we gather more and more possessions. Thoughtfully and prayerfully considering what we choose to buy is one way that we can put God back into the center, as we look to Him about how He calls us to live. Trying to practice an awareness of God’s design for our lives and His will for us is one way to take “me” out of the center. The promise that we receive is that “whoever does the will of God remains forever.” (1 John 2: 17) Although worldly possessions can bring us pleasure, only salvation can bring us the true joy that we long for.
The gospel reading recounts the story of Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to “fulfill all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord.” (Luke 2: 39) Mary, Joseph and Jesus then return to Nazareth where Jesus “grew and became strong filled with wisdom.” (Luke 2:40) There is not a great deal of information shared about the Holy family and Jesus’ life as a child. The few glimpses that we do get reveal a couple who is very attentive to listening to God (Mary’s visit from Gabriel and Joseph’s visit from the angel.) Not only are they good listeners, they are also obedient to God’s will despite all of the challenges that they face because of these choices. When I reflect upon the childhood of Jesus, I imagine that Joseph and Mary lived holy lives constantly turning to God to help them direct their decisions. Although Jesus is God, we oftentimes forget that He was born into a family and grew up with parents that cared for Him and provided for His needs. I suspect that Mary and Joseph lived “other-centered” lives as they nurtured Jesus to adulthood. These human experiences reinforced Jesus calling to serve His Heavenly Father. “The favor of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:40) since Jesus realized His oneness with the Father and knew that this meant that He must do His Father’s will. From His birth to His death on the cross, Jesus listened to His Father speak to Him and He obeyed. We are called to do the same by listening to Jesus and following Him and His ways. It is not about me- but about Christ.
Putting this mindset into practice in daily living is difficult. Living in the midst of a culture that tells us to seek whatever brings us happiness (material possessions, power, money, glory, and pleasure) makes it nearly impossible to put Christ in the center of our lives. I think it begins with a concept that Copernicus shared many years ago. We are not the center of the universe. There are so many others on this planet that are connected to us by the fact that they are also children of God. Making decisions based upon what we truly need, and sharing what we can to aid others is a good start. It is not just about money either. Sharing a hug to a person in need of comfort, spending time with someone who needs a listening ear, giving our energy to work on a project are a few ways that we can use not only what we have, but who we are to serve others. This requires some death to self and our needs, since we must choose to do these things instead of choosing things that may make life a little easier or nicer for us. When we live in this way, we become like Christ who illustrates the ultimate giving through His death on the cross. When Jesus (the light of the world) is at the center of our lives, then we reflect His light in all the ways that we live. When we live this way we will give the LORD glory and praise just as Jesus did during His life here on earth.
"Heavenly Father, we thank you for all of creation and all the wonderful gifts that you have given to us. Most especially we thank you for Jesus and the gift of salvation. Through the grace of Your Spirit, help us to always keep our eyes on You and Your Son, so we can live our lives in service and obedience to you. May we come to know and believe that “it is not about me” but about You and in that recognition may we choose to live only as You will. We pray this through Christ our LORD. Amen"
- Marylynn Herchline