The Fifth Day of Christmas: Irony and Grace

“And yet, they sang like angels.”

I do not know if angels can grasp irony.  But if they cannot, they will miss the incandescent grace that underlies the Christmas story.  We have pondered Joseph and the path to Bethlehem, and today we will ponder those strange creatures who announce and narrate the Christmas story, the angels.

“You sing like an angel,” murmured the kind, bearded man to his partner as he touched her shoulder.  He was not alone in his estimate. Everyone in the church had, at the direction of the charismatic leader with the microphone, turned to their neighbor to offer this odd Christmas blessing.  “You sing like an angel.”

The church service was the Advent meeting of Hillsong Berlin, held in the sanctuary of our cloister.  Our apartment is right next to the sanctuary, separated only by a short stairwell.  So we could hear them setting up and practicing while Hannah took her afternoon nap.  And we could surely tell when the service was in full swing as the guitars, electric…