So, guys, I did a thing…
I was invited to write an Advent devotional for my school’s diversity council.
The Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary Southeast Diversity Council seeks to cultivate an atmosphere that invites, welcomes, and supports underrepresented students, faculty, and staff.
If you are following the Advent Calendar, we are tracking along in Love week.
“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. “
Luke 2:15-20
“Mary had a baby
Yes Lord
Mary had a baby
Yes my Lord
Mary had a baby
Yes Lord, the people keep a comin’ and the train done gone.”
-Negro Spiritual
I am always so encouraged when I take the time to consider how God makes Himself known to us. For me, songs like the one above, with the comforting rhythm of call and response, is a way of making God’s story known to me. The rhythmic telling of the Nativity story, set to music, is not only a reminder of God’s loving act in the Incarnation, but also how I, like the shepherds in the passage, tell others of His wondrous love.
When I think about the shepherds in this passage, I am also encouraged. Human categories of wealth and status don’t matter to God. The announcement of Love coming down was first shared with simple working people. In response, like in the song, the people kept a comin’. Also, wise men—learned individuals led by the science of astronomy, who had access to power and wealth —traveled a great distance to find the King of the Jews and worship Him. Again, the people kept a comin’. You and I, just like the shepherds and the wise men, we come as well. Why? Because He first loved us and demonstrated His love by dwelling among us, bearing our burdens, and making the ultimate sacrifice of love for our salvation. It’s no wonder that through the centuries, as the story of Love continues to be told, the people keep a comin’.