Once, it was tax season

The Christmas story in the book of Luke, chapter 2, starts out in a kind of surprising way. Surprising to me, anyway, probably because I was frontloaded with the good stuff, the exciting, miraculous, carol-worthy stuff: baby Jesus in a manger! And angels announced and shepherds worshiped and cattle lowed and wise men bowed and all that.

But instead of leading with the juice, Luke begins in a very boring place indeed: tax season.

It was time to pay taxes, so Joseph and Mary took a road trip. (The internet tells me it was a little over 100km from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, and it probably took them 4-5 days to get there on foot, which makes me want to complain a lot less about the burden of filling out tax forms each spring).

I just love looking at this from a writing perspective. Once, Luke writes, then pauses, then forges ahead, it was tax season. Which could not be a more boring start!

But of course Joseph and Mary were an oppressed people having to pay taxes to the oppressor, and all of Luke's Jewish readers would not have read this as boring, but likely with a chafing sense of political unrest and a deep longing to be free. 

Kind of how I come to Christmas, year after year. Stressing and restless with the weight of the year. Sighing, aching under this burden and that. Heart heavy, for my own and for others. 

We know.

We chafe.

We long to be free.

And Christmas, with its tinsel and joy and chocolate and happiness, with its gifts and anticipation and peace, reminds us that good stories start out as hard stories.

With burdens.

With tired feet and crowded streets.

Even with taxes.

And into our suffering comes the Saviour, the Son of God, baby Jesus in a manger.

And into our unrest comes Jesus.

And into our boredom comes Jesus.

The light of the world.

The bread of life.

The meek and lowly.

The shepherd.

The lamb.

The bright morning star.

The friend who is closer than a brother.

Tidings of comfort and joy. 

All good stories start out as hard stories.

Merry Christmas, friends. Xo.