Project 119: Heaven and Nature Sing | Luke 2:1-7
| Project 119 | Mary Splawn
Reading for Monday, December 21: Luke 2:1-7
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With th’angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem."
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"
-Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
One of the traditions that brings my family great joy during this season is reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. As I read the hymn text today, I couldn’t help but think of what Gladys Herdman’s rendition of this stanza might be.
Gladys is one of the main characters of this short book. She comes from a family of six troubled children whose father has left the family and whose mother has given up on any form of discipline. They are a testy group to say the least, causing a ruckus wherever they go.
The Herdmans get wind that the church gives out cookies during meetings and they start attending. They sign up to be part of the Christmas pageant. Readers laugh and cry alongside the Herdmans as they encounter the story of Jesus’ birth for the very first time.
In the play, Gladys is cast as the Angel of the Lord. During the first practice, Gladys the angel cries out “Shazam!” when visiting the shepherds as if she were a superhero. And on the night of the play she hollers, “Hey, unto you a child is born!” in the way we would yell when we think something is the best news ever!
Shazam, as defined in the dictionary, is a word used “to introduce an extraordinary deed, story, or transformation.” In my opinion, this is the perfect word to present the greatest story of redemption and transformation the world has ever seen.
So this Christmas, be like Gladys. Find unique and meaningful ways to tell yourself, your family, and your world the exciting news of Jesus’ birth in the same way that Gladys cried out, “Shazam! Unto you a child is born.” And in the process, take time to reorient yourself to this extraordinary story that for many has become much too familiar.