No Little Places, No Little People

Yesterday, as a part of our Advent observation, we lit a candle in our Advent wreath in honor of Bethlehem. A little place, really, especially compared to Jerusalem. At the time when Jesus was born, it was no center of commerce or culture; Bethlehem was known only because of its fertile hills and valleys. It was known as the Land of Bread. Should be no surprise - but it is, admit it - that the Bread of Life was born there?!

Anyway, Bethlehem was little. And you know what we think of little places and little people. Very little. Which brings me to my next thought. The unlikely choice of Bethlehem as the debut of Emmanuel is God's good news spoken into our little-ness. Hardeman County is almost the poorest county in our state. The ravages of drug and alcohol use/abuse, astronomical joblessness rates, the inability or unwillingness to parent the children you've given birth to ... there are tons of details that point to the smallness of our little town. That is, if you're comparing us to other towns and cities in this nation (or even this world) and noting what we have and don't have to offer. But, I believe that there are no little places and no little people in God's eyes. There is something Divine happening even (or especially) in places like the one where I live and pastor. It may go unnoticed by all for a while, and by most forever ... but ignorance doesn't negate the Divine.

God picks teenage girls who struggle but still stand on Divine strength and courage to say, 'but God has something for me to do.' God chooses wise, blue-collar, carpenter-type folk who'll do the right think not because they've been educated to do that, but because they'll be true to their heart ... especially when their heart belongs to God. God breathes and acts and speaks through those who will dare to see the BIG hope and possibility in all of life. A teenage mom-to-be and her soon-to-be carpenter husband are the ones God chose to bear Emmanuel to the world first. And, God is choosing you and I today, crazy as it sounds, to bear Christ to family, friend, neighbor, and stranger alike. You may feel small; people may even tell you they think you're too little. Doesn't matter. In God's eyes, there are no little places and there are no little people.