Advent 2 - It's The Cracks That Let The Light In

I don’t know about you but I’m not going to be too sad to see the back of 2016…..

We’ve had the most bizzare year in politics that many of us can remember, on both sides of the pond; we’ve lost many good friends within our congregation here in Belhelvie; and meanwhile, somewhere off centre stage, a procession of beloved actors, musicians and writers have also taken their leave of us -  

David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Harper Lee, Victoria Wood and Prince all passed on this year.

And though the death of Leonard Cohen was less unexpected, it still hit many people hard because he was such an influential poet and songwriter.

Cohen’s ‘Halleluia’ has been covered many times, and is probably his best known song, but ‘Anthem’ isn’t far behind in terms of popularity, and it’s a couple of lines from Anthem that got me thinking this week.

In his impossibly deep bass voice, Cohen sings ‘there is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in’.

Now our culture doesn’t encourage us to be honest about the cracks in everything, least of all ourselves. We like to present ourselves as whole, complete and happy. And if you doubt that, stop and think about which photos and which stories from your life make it onto your Facebook page; or which elements of your life you’re prepared to open up about to others.

There’s a lot that goes unseen and unsaid, isn’t there? We know that the cracks are there because life can be bruising for all of us. But what if the answer isn’t to try and cover the cracks up, but to own them and allow God to bring his light into our lives through them? I think that’s at least part of what we discover in the Christmas story.

There’s Mary – just a young girl with her whole life ahead of her. Excited to be getting married, starting a home, having kids. It’s all good.

And then the angel comes to her with this strange request. And it cracks her world open. If she says yes to carrying this divine child, she can be pretty sure that no-one will understand. Her parents, her friends, the man she loves.

In saying yes, she’s opening the door to all kinds of accusation and misunderstanding. She knows that. But she also knows that if she gives her consent, light and life won’t just enter her womb, they’ll enter the world through her. And so she gives God her yes.

Think of Joseph, a decent man – looking forward to settling down with his young bride, starting a family, building a life.

And then she drops the bombshell. And it cracks his world open. He could have shamed her and berated her in public, but being a good man, he decides to take the least bad option and arranges to divorce her quietly.

But then, in a restless dream, light filters in through the cracks in his world – he gets his own word from God, confirming Mary’s story. From that point onwards he knows that she hasn’t betrayed his trust, and that both of them will have to trust God for the future.

Think of the shepherds, down in the valley below Bethlehem minding their sheep until their world’s cracked open by a heavenly voice and an angel choir, bringing them news of God’s birth - which is wonderful – but what do they do? If they leave the sheep, they’ll be in serious trouble with the owners.  But some kinds of trouble are worth getting into! So they set their responsibilities to the side for a while, they allow themselves not to be indispensable, and head up into the village in search of the child.

Or think of the wise men – who had it all cut and dried. Educated, respected, probably wealthy. And yet there were cracks in their world too. Why go on such a long journey, why risk your professorial chair at the university, your reputation and maybe even your marriage for the sake of a new star glimmering in the eastern sky?

Well, maybe they hadn’t everything cut and dried. Maybe, for all they had and all they knew, there were still yearnings in their hearts and souls that had never yet found an answer. And maybe that’s why they made the seemingly foolish choice to pin their hopes on a wandering star.

‘There is a crack in everything.’ says Leonard. ‘That’s how the light gets in’.

And the thing is this morning, people - you’re all cracked!

And so am I!

And we can try and pretend that away. Keep spinning the Facebook fantasy. Or we can face up to it and realise that even our brokenness can be an opportunity for God to bring us more of his light.

I don’t know what all the cracks in your world look like, though I know some of them and can guess at more

Maybe you’ve been let down in a relationship; someone’s betrayed your trust, or isn’t living up to promises they made.

Maybe your family’s cracking you up. You’re carrying worries and pressures that few people know about and the strain’s beginning to tell.

Maybe you’re the kind who’s always been self-sufficient and capable. But something’s come along – some situation at work, or some illness, or set of life circumstances that have left you unsure of your footing like never before.

Or maybe you can’t put your finger on it – you just know that sadness and resignation have settled down into your soul and show no sign of leaving. You try and kid others you’re fine, but they don’t have to look too hard to see the cracks.

And what’s Christmas got to do with all this?

Well, there’s a reason that all those Christmas cards show a glow from the stable, even if it’s doubtful that it happened that way.

“Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings.”

There’s light to be seen, through the cracks in our lives. The transforming, healing light of Christ.

But you have to be open to it.

You see light is a remarkably gracious force.

Sunlight  travels 92 million miles to visit us, but if you turn your back or put up a parasol you can easily block it out.

Starlight travels billions of miles to see us, but a hint of wispy cloud’s all it takes to make it disappear.

John tells us that “the true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.”  But that light has to be received before it can do its work in us and through us.

Mary had to give God her yes. Joseph had to believe her. The shepherds had to be irresponsible for a while! The wise men had to admit that they were still lacking and didn’t have it all cut and dried.

We’re all cracked you see. We need help, we need healing. We need the light to get in. We need a saviour.

And we have one, if only we’re ready to receive him.

“How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given.

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven.

No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin

Where cracked souls will receive him,

still the Christ-light enters in”.