First Sunday of Christmas: All Are Empowered to Be God's Children

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's own son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said: "He who comes after me ranks ahead of me becasue he was before me,") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known. (John 1: 1-18).

Congratulations, every human being has been loved and accepted by God. In the Christmas Gospel we now hear that the God who created us, and God's Word without whom nothing that was made exists has come to us as one of us. As with all human beings first born into this world God comes as one so innocent and one so tender. As every child sees everything around her or him as if everything is worth their attention, so God in the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ comes into our world and looks upon all of us as worthy of God's loving embrace and attention. As with any child who is born before they know the meaning of hate and prejudice, Jesus Christ is born yet he is born in an animal stall amidst all the messiness of human existence. Yet there is nothing and no person who is not important to Him.

And our Gospel today so beautifully says: "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God." All means all.

In the Wisdom of Solomon 11:23 - 26 we read:

"But you are merciful to all, for you can do all things, and you overlook people's sins, so that the may repent. For you love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that you have made, for you would not have made anything if you had hated it. How wold anything have endured if you had not willed it? Or would anything not called forth by you have been preserved? You spare all things, for they are yours, O Lord, you who love the living."

In today's reading from St. Paul to the Galatians we read:

"There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28).

God treasures every thing God has made. God has shown all creation it's value in the redemption of the world through Jesus Christ the Word made flesh. And this includes beyond a shadow of a doubt lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people. Our value as people has been affirmed by God becoming one like us in Jesus Christ. To everyone who receives Jesus, we are empowered to be children of God. All means all.

As Jesus grew up he like LGBT people learned that we live in a world where all are not respected and loved as children of God. Jesus found out that there is a world of prejudice and hate. Tomorrow we will remember the Holy Innocents who were all of those male children up to 2 years old who were killed because of King Herod's hate for anyone who would threaten his established order of kingship over his country. As Jesus grew and matured into adult hood, though he would face hate and prejudice for himself and those marginalized by society, he would continue to embrace all, even those who hated him. Jesus continued to look at all people as being very important and treasured by God. All who accepted Jesus, were empowered to be children of God. Therefore, any and all who accept Jesus even now, are empowered to be children of God.

This acceptance is not the same as the Bible beaters and fundamentalists preach. No, this is seeing in Jesus, God's Divinity and our Humanity all in One Being with God. To accept Jesus is to see Jesus as that light whom the world does not accept. God came to his own in Jesus. Are we willing to be claimed by Jesus as God's own? Or are we among those to whom Jesus came, but we did not accept him? Our acceptance of God in Christ means that we understand that our worth, our dignity are from God who loves and accepts all people unconditionally and all inclusively. A Christian who has truly experienced what being a child of God means, does not discriminate against anyone for their race, religious background, skin color, national background, challenge, sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression, or gender. We realize that all are made one in Christ Jesus.

Today is an opportunity to recognize God's love in and for all of us. That is what the heart of the Christmas message is. And today is a day to help deliver those in bondage to freedom. Today, there is an opportunity to help the gay and lesbian citizens of Uganda against the anti-homosexuality bill. Follow the link I provide here. And sign a petition that tells the President of Uganda that a bill that sends gay and lesbian people to prison for life and threatens to take their life is wrong. Help tell Uganda that gay and lesbian people are people created in the image and likeness of God and that we are celebrated by Jesus, because Jesus once became one like us as much as God became one like all people, everywhere.

As we prepare for 2009 to become 2010 may we all commit ourselves to promoting LGBT and all people thought of as second class citizens to be people who are included in society and the Church. As the New Year dawns let us call on our Congress to pass a health care reform bill for ALL Americans who need it. Let us call on our local, State and Federal Leaders to continue the work to enact legislation where LGBT people will be accepted, affirmed and celebrated in all parts of society. Why should these things be? Because in Jesus Christ ALL have been made a treasure to God, and therefore we should also treasure ALL.

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, on God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the First Sunday of Christmas, Book of Common Prayer, Page 213)