January 1, 2023

Isaiah 63:7-9 • Psalm 148 • Hebrews 2:10-18 • Matthew 2:13-23

Who has seen the 1946 movie called ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed? Finally, I saw it too and now I understand why it’s such a big deal. Interesting to also learn about how the movie was seen largely as a failure for its first few decades; and was even seen as a kind of communist threat at first – given its support for the rights of poor people to have decent homes, and to be protected from the treacheries of the unscrupulous rich. There’s a famous speech early in the movie when George Bailey says this to Henry Potter (that’s Henry, not Harry):
“What’d you say a minute ago? They had to wait and save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they’re so old and broken down that they… Do you know how long it takes a working man to save $5,000? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you’re talking about… they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?”
Sadly, this scenario is still relevant for today – heck it’s more relevant now in Canada than when I was in my twenties – when housing, for example, cost a small fraction of what it does today.
A place to call home is a basic human need, and yet even Jesus himself was taken to Egypt after he was born, as his earthly parents ran for their lives – like so many desperate migrants today. Joseph has another dream in which an angel – and that word means messenger – an angel tells him to take the child and his mother to Egypt for “Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” There they stayed as strangers in a foreign land, until Herod died – likely two to four years later. Just like today -- many families in desperate situations around the world have to flee their homes to look for safety elsewhere. And yet they are unwelcome and persecuted in many places to which they can manage to flee. You’d think that after two thousand years we would have found better solutions, but sadly not so. Our gospel describes a further horrible scene – usually called ‘the slaughter of the innocents’ which I’ve always hoped was not true. The murder of all those babies seems too brutal to be true, and yet similar scenes have occurred throughout human history. If not an all-out slaughter, then many poor children around the world die slower, more painful deaths as their families are repeatedly turned away from finding secure homes with food and other basic necessities. Even after another dream angel tells Joseph that Herod is dead, so they can go back to Israel, Joseph is afraid of the new ruler of Judea “And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee” … to the town of Nazareth.
Isn’t it amazing how many dreams Joseph has in which God sends an angel messenger to tell him what to do – how to keep safe and avoid danger, etc.? Something similar happens in that ‘wonderful life’ movie. George’s Guardian Angel, named Clarence, is sent to earth to help George get out of the trouble he is in – troubles that threaten the safety and wellbeing of his family and many other surrounding families as well. George is so distraught that he considers ending it all, or at least wishes he’d never been born. Together George and Clarence explore what the lives of his family and community would be like now if George had never been born; and through that process, George comes to realize that he’s not such a failure after all. On the contrary he’s helped many people in so many ways. Among the movie’s good messages is that we too may also have had a more positive impact on the world around us than we realize. It’s easy to think of the failures or losses in our lives; and often such a focus blinds us to all the ways that our lives have been wonderful and also beneficial to others.
On this first day of the new year, we could benefit from a closer look at our Isaiah 63 reading, starting with “I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord … because of all that … [God] has done for us.” It’s so true and amazing how much we are brought comfort by our Creator God, despite the losses, disappointments, betrayals & failures we’ve experienced – even just in this past year. My experience, and hopefully yours too, is that being here in this family of faith -- is an immense blessing – high on my list of what I’m grateful for in recent years. And then of course our psalm today is full of joy and praises for our Creator God. I’d like to close with this Celtic Prayer for the New Year:

This day is a new day That has never been before.
This year is a new year, the opening door.
Enter, Lord Christ— we have joy in Your coming.
You have given us life; and we welcome Your coming.
I turn now to face You, I lift up my eyes.
Be blessing my face, Lord; be blessing my eyes.
May all my eye looks on be blessed and be bright,
my neighbours, my loved ones be blessed in Your sight.
You have given us life and we welcome Your coming.
Be with us, Lord, we have joy, we have joy.
This year is a new year, the opening door.
Be with us, Lord, We have joy, we have joy. [Amen]