First,
Mary and Joseph panic was doubtless real—any parent who loses a child in a mall
or at an amusement park knows that the old metaphor about having your heart
come up into your throat is pretty accurate as descriptions go. But
honestly, what had they been thinking
The
idea came that just maybe they should check the Temple. “I can’t imagine
he’d be there” they must have said to each other, “but we we’re running out of
likely places so let’s check.” The Temple was the first place they should have
looked as it turns out. His parents don’t understand, however. They are
too flush with a combination of intense relief and a little abiding
post-traumatic stress to be able to figure it all out just then. We learned
that Mary “treasured” all these incidents in her heart. Don’t even imagine that
she was silent; maybe a loving embrace, but you bet there had to be
consequences for this twelve year old.
So the
lesson from this very human, earthy story goes like this. You survived another
Christmas, where Baby Jesus rubs elbows with perfect artificial trees,
Rudolph’s red nose, and people spending gazillions on violent video games. If
you are a parent, grandparent or nurturing adult then you are all too familiar
with Mary and Joseph’s parental woes. This is a beautiful story about a Mom and
Dad who are not only raising the Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God, but also
helping a kid grow up. They worried. They failed. They dreamed. They prayed.
They barely made it through some days.
If you
choose to dwell on a perfect and divine Jesus wowing the religious experts, go
ahead! But I prefer parents’ worried about their failures and a child’s
absence. I imagine Joseph and Mary searching Jerusalem with thumping hearts and
panicked eyes. When they find Jesus, they yell at him and embrace him
and—divine, human, or both—they are his parents and love him. Imagine this is
the way your Divine parent worries about you in the New Year. My parents
worried about me until their last thoughts and breaths. Of that I am sure. What
am I sure about in my faith? I’m human, and will make mistakes. And the divine,
the Holy Abba, always searches for me, is always filled with love (and a dose
of divine worry) for me.
Next time you are
worried about your kids pray: Mary
and Joseph come help us make room for Jesus in our life, that he may grow up in
us day after day and make us more like him.
Lord,
I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are nurturing anyone at any stage of
life. Imagine, Jesus standing by our side when our children have lost their way.
May the spirit bring us compassion, patience and gentleness.
