There’s a certain gentleness that surrounds Christmas. I like it as much as the next person. The angels sing softly, the stars hold their places, the cattle are quietly lowing in the fields. We assume those gathered around the Christ child whisper in quiet voices beholding the miracle of God’s presence among God’s people.

Who among us does not yearn for such peace in our relationships, in ourselves and in our war-torn world?

We gather around the manger scene, and most of us would hope that it would become real, day after day, and that somehow this Prince of Peace would become Prince of our world, the focus on the best God wants for us as individuals and communities.

However much I long for this, and I do, I confess a certain uneasiness about the manger scene. Something tells me that it may be dangerous to just stand there rocking this cradle and be lulled to sleep or unconsciousness by the whole scene. What does it mean for us?

At times I’m aware that the trouble with rocking Jesus in his cradle is that he may turn and rock my life especially the world I have so carefully at times put together for my own convenience. He might just de-structure that world that keeps the better self imprisoned in the good.

There’s a little warning of getting too relaxed around the manager scene in what is known as Mary’s Magnificat. In the very first chapter of Luke, she warns that God, “has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree.” Soon afterward, Simeon comes along and in blessing this child, predicts: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many…” Not a lot of comfort there!

Life just doesn’t seem so predictable or in our control no matter how well we enthrone ourselves or how highly we exalt ourselves. Less may be required of us no matter how high the mountain we may seek to climb. What matters may not be found in high places.

I don’t know about you, but this child makes me want to take my hand back off the cradle and wonder more about just what is happening on this Christmas day that may be happening every day.

Something radical seems to be going on. Radical meaning something is happening at the roots, at the very foundation of our world and seems meant to happen every day. It’s as though the ways we’ve treated each other, not only as individuals, but also in our social, economic, and political structures are going to be shaken down into what matters – our love for each other regardless of our differences.

This child is revealing to us God’s love for us that is so profound, so deep, so lasting that many of us can’t take it in. It would rock the foundations of our lives. It’s as though we sense through this child our full worth before God and before each other. We see we are of infinite value, just because we are here, not because of our positions or status in life. Only God revealed in this Christ child establishes our net worth.

That’s troubling for many. It means we can’t get away with treating each other as less. If the ultimate image of God is a persistent unconditional love for us, then we are called forward each moment to live in that love. We can’t get away with perpetuating structures in society that contribute to making any person less that they were intended to be by our loving Creator.

I know Christmas will be a hard day for many. Many homes are broken. Many single people feel acutely the loss of a partner or their families of origin. Many will be hungry. Many will weep before the empty chair where a loved one sat the Christmas before. So many will rightly feel treated unjustly by the privileged. This day will accentuate for many what could be and yet is not. And it hurts.

And yet the promise has come to be fulfilled for each one of us. This Christ child promises to offer us what will rock us to the core, a love so accepting and powerful that we can trust it to fulfill our lives for better and worse, in our beginnings and endings. We will be cradled forever in this love of God.