Many of you, I am sure, will remember the two wonderful ‘son et
lumiere’ evenings we have had in recent years during which, light
shining through each window in turn, brought the narrative of the birth
of Our Lord to life in a very moving way. Although we are not having a
son et lumiere this year, I hardly need to remind you that when the sun
shines through these windows, even on a winter morning, the effect can
be equally as stunning.
I’m glad that these windows, visible to the congregation as they
worship, tell of Christ’s coming to our world. They could have
represented the crucifixion, the resurrection, Christ in glory or some
other aspect of our faith as is the case in many other churches. But
the coming into our world of the incarnate Son of God is the first and
fundamental event in the Christian narrative. It was obviously the
first to actually happen in time, but it is also fundamental in the
sense that, without the incarnation, the life and ministry of Christ
and His saving death and resurrection could not have happened. ‘The
Word became flesh’ is among the most important verses in the whole of
the Bible. So it’s good to have the most fundamental of Christian
doctrines portrayed before our eyes not just at Christmas but
throughout the year.
At Christmas we are able to see the nativity made visible for us in
many different ways: on Christmas cards; in countless Crib scenes and,
of course, in nativity plays (think of all those reluctant shepherds
and giggly angels etc. who are going to be performing in the next few
weeks!). But at Holy Trinity we also have our windows. In them,
‘craftsman’s art’ and the glorious beams of the sun combine to light up
the word made flesh for us.
But to me it’s interesting that the sequence of these windows doesn’t
stop at the actual nativity and the events surrounding it but goes on
to show two moments in the boyhood of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke –
when he was ‘lost’ in the temple in Jerusalem and a depiction of Jesus
in the carpenters shop with Joseph at work in the background and Our
lady there too busy with her own work. It is important to see the story
of the birth of Jesus in context and not as an isolated event. Parents
today will have photos of their children not just as a new born infant
but showing every stage of their development as they grow. Our windows
show that the word made flesh born in Bethlehem was a very real little
boy who grew and developed like any other human child in a real human
family. The Saviour of the world who brought us the Good news of the
Kingdom and died and rose again for us knew what it was to live a human
life.
May I suggest that a good preparation for Christmas might be to spend
some time simply looking at these windows and reflecting on the story
they tell? Choose a sunny morning and go into church and do just that!
And maybe, just maybe when we are at worship this Advent and Christmas
the sun will shine reminding us that:
‘By the tender mercy of
our God,
The dawn from on
high will break upon us.
To give light to
those who sit in the shadow of death,
And to guide our
feet into the way of peace.’
(Luke 1:78-79 part of the Benedictus.)
A very joyful Christmas to you all!
Fr.
John
