Empty

Empty

Last night was Christmas eve.  At the evening service, I somewhat regretfully informed the gathering that they, we, are "the rich." That our topsy turvy God put our fate in the mouth of Mary as she sang, "God has filled the hungry with good things; the rich God has sent empty away." I observed that we were all glad of the message that God fills and will fill the hungry with good things. The observation that God has sent the rich "empty away" is okay, we think. After all, is any one of us what we consider to be rich? Mary's song isn't referring to us, is it! Well, among those gathered for worship, few miss supper on a regular basis. Compared to so many in the world, we are certainly rich. Does that mean God has turned away from us because we have enough?

I suggest that God does give us a gift. Consider that in the midst of what we have, what we've been given, what we've worked for, what we've baked and wrapped, in the midst of all our plans and good intentions, we have filled ourselves with good things ... and left ourselves full. Like an inn with no room for the savior of the world, we have left ourselves full.

"The rich God has sent empty away."

God's gift to us is the gift of emptiness, the gift of yearning.

Beloved, we won't have Christmas until we hear and respond to the call from the carol, "Let every heart prepare him room!"

So that is God's gift to us; emptiness we can't fill ourselves. The emptiness that lets us be, "where meek hearts will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in."

May you have the gift of emptiness today, that there be space for the holy.

Peace and Blessing, ...