"Christmas Piñata"
A Sermon of
The Rev. Dr. David A. Killian, Rector
All Saints Parish
Brookline, Massachusetts
Christmas Eve
December 24, 2005
Text: Luke 2:1-20
I
Tonight we celebrate God's greatest gift to us, the birth of Jesus, the Word-made-flesh. Jesus is the love of God become present in our world. Jesus is proof that God really cares about the human race. Jesus is our teacher, guide, the one who shows us how to live and how to be happy.
Yesterday, I was downstairs at the Corner Coop Nursery School that meets in our building. I was invited for their annual "breaking of the Christmas Piñata." The piñata was hoisted on a rope. Three, four, and five-year olds took swings at the piñata with a plastic bat, accompanied by peals of laughter and excitement. I and other adults also took our swings at the piñata. Eventually, the piñata was broken. Out came candies, treats, and assorted gifts, to the great delight of the children.
Why do we break a piñata at Christmas? Isn't this is a somewhat violent activity? Isn't Christmas about sweetness and light, harmony and good cheer? At Christmas we sing, "Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright." Isn't the breaking of the piñata disruptive and discordant?
Well, as harmonious and peaceful as the message of Christmas is, if we look at the Christmas story, we see that it wasn't all calm and bright. There was disruption and there was disturbance.
Look at Mary, the mother of Jesus, a young girl, a teenager, asked by the angel to be the mother of the Messiah. She was perplexed and replied, "How can this be since I do not know man?" Even after she gave her consent, "Fiat, be it done to me according to your word," her life didn't get easier.
Look at Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, who was engaged to Mary, but didn't understand why she was pregnant. Even after he received a message from the angel that it was all right to take Mary as his wife, they had to travel to Bethlehem to be enrolled in the census. When they arrived in Bethlehem there was no room in the inn. It wasn't all calm and bright.
And look at the life of Jesus, it wasn't all calm and bright for him. At age 12, he is "lost" in the temple while talking with the elders. As an adult, he associates with tax collectors, sinners, publicans, prostitutes, and outcasts. He is a scandal and a disruptive force. He broke the piñata of the status quo and called people to new spiritual and moral practice.
After Jesus' death, the early Christian community broke the barrier keeping Gentiles from becoming members of the church. For Paul, Peter and the early church, Jesus was meant to be shared with the entire world.
II
This Christmas I was reflecting on the "piñata breaking" experiences in my life, the events and people that changed my world view, changed my settled opinion of things. I have had many "piñata breaking" experiences, but I think one in particular changed my life and accounts for the fact that I am here with you tonight. The greatest "piñata breaking" person in my life was Pope John XXIII and the greatest "piñata breaking" event was his decision to call the Second Vatican Council.
You see, I was raised Roman Catholic and I was in a traditional Roman Catholic seminary at the time Pope John called Vatican II. I prayed in Latin and, although it wasn't official Catholic teaching, I believed that Catholics were going to heaven and Protestants were going to hell. I believed that Jews needed to be converted and baptized to be saved. Then Pope John called Vatican II. He met with Protestant and Jewish leaders and referred to them as brothers and sisters. He helped me to see that there is only one Body of Christ and that I could follow my conscience and leave the Roman Catholic Church and become a priest in the Episcopal Church. He made it possible for me to affirm that my Jewish brothers and sisters have a covenant that has never been revoked and they do not have to become Christian in order to be saved. Pope John showed me how I could be faithful to the message of Jesus while become more accepting of the beliefs of others.
What are your "piñata breaking" experiences? How has God disrupted your world view and changed your settled opinions? Christmas is not just "silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright." The Christmas message is revolutionary and upsetting.
III
Recently, our world has seen the devastating effects of the tsunami in Southeast Asia and of Hurricane Katrina on our Gulf Coast. Some ask if God is punishing people through these actions. My answer to that question is no: God is not punishing people through the tsunami or the hurricanes. There are natural explanations about the shifting of tectonic plates under the surface of the earth that explain tsunamis and scientific explanations about ocean currents, temperatures and weather patterns that explain hurricanes.
However, the tsunamis and the hurricanes should be "piñata breaking" events for us, because they expose the inequalities between rich and poor and they should move us who live in affluence to become concerned about our brothers and sisters affected by these disasters. We need to break out of our comfort zones to care for the needs of others. We who have food in abundance on our tables and presents around our trees need to hear again Jesus's message of sharing our gifts with a hurting world.
This Christmas, I invite you to reflect on the piñata, which might symbolize a world that is cozy and settled -- and see that the gentle babe born in Bethlehem comes, yes, to give us comfort and joy, harmony and peace, but also to disrupt and change us -- so that we might love others as Christ has loved us.
Amen.