ST ALBAN’S CHURCH COPENHAGEN

You know, I have been here in Copenhagen for almost a year now and I have
yet to quote the famous Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard in a sermon. I’m
sure there must be some kind of law against that! So, let me share with you a
sort of parable of Christmas, which Kierkegaard wrote over one hundred and
fifty years ago. It goes something like this:
Once upon a time, it was a cold, snowy Christmas Eve, with a wild storm raging
outside. And in a village farmhouse, a woman pleaded with her husband to join
her in going to the Christmas Eve service in the local Church. But her pleading
fell on deaf ears. He just didn’t want to go. “You go,” he said, “I’ll just sit here
by the fire.” So, off she went; and down he sat. And as he sat by the fire he
began to doze off.
He began to doze until, suddenly, he was awakened by three loud thumps on the
window. What could it be? Well, when he looked out into the snow he saw
three geese hopping about looking stunned and injured. Apparently they had
been lost in the storm, lost in the wild winds, and it seems they had been
seeking out the warmth of the farm house when they crashed into the window.
Now, the farmer knew that if the injured geese were left unprotected in the
storm, they would probably die. So he dashed out to his barn, opened the door
and turned on the lights in the hope that the geese would find their way in, into
the safety and warmth of the barn. But they were just too afraid. They were too
afraid of the farmer. Every time he came near them to try to herd them into the
barn, they just hopped further away. It was pointless. And then it struck him, “If
only I could become one of them. If only I could become one of them, then they
would trust me. Then they would follow me and I could lead them to safety.”
And just as he had that thought he heard in the distance the bells of the village
church ringing out for Christmas. And he finally got it. He finally understood
the meaning of that cold winter night long, long ago. God had become one of
us. God came near.
-----------------------
That’s it. That, in a nutshell is the whole Christmas Story, the whole Christian
faith, you might say: God becomes one of us. God comes near. God knows us
and loves us. God challenges us and forgives us. And in the end – rather like
Kierkegaard’s frightened, wounded geese – God will lead us safely home.
Heaven lies about us. God has a name. And it’s Emmanuel – it means “God is
with us.” And that, without doubt, is the most wonderful, the most
preposterous, the most astonishing reason of all to say to you:
“Happy Christmas!’
~ 12 ~