If the church was to be honest about the nativity stories, perhaps she would be able to say that they do not particularly matter; at least not the stable and innkeeper (still to find one in the gospels) and census and stars. It is something we hang on to because it's rich imagination moves us out of our reality for a while.
What matters more is the birth and coming back of the Light. Such an ancient dilema at this time of year, to call back the light, living on the edge and threat of darkness: just when it can get dark no longer the light breaks through.
The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. The reality of God (be that God born in a stable or in our souls) shifts the light into the empire of darkness and crushes it. The passing of the solstice takes with it the limiting of growth and in its wake frees the renewing of growth, harbouring and holding as much hope as there can be when something is so fresh and undiluted. A new world.
The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. The reality of God (be that God found in a manger or in our spirits) moves us towards the growth of justice, peace, balance (those bedfellows of the light) because they seems possible now. The darkness of imprisonment, tyranny, fear can be rolled away becasue we believe in a truth: of life reborn and renewed and belief is powerful. It makes things happen.
These are basic truths that have shaped humanity from ancient time. Perhaps we play with them more as metaphor today than in the past but the reality is no less fragile as the hope of the sun returning and as life changing as believing what we can do when hope is born in us.
This, most surely, is incarnation.
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