A couple of Sundays ago during children’s time I gathered the youth around me and invited them to sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer…well two lines in, no one was singing with me. I stopped and said “I know why no one is singing….took off my guitar…reached in a bag and pulled out Dollarama reindeer noses that blinked. Of course the kids looked at me with great surprise and the congregation began to laugh. But lo and behold they helped one another put on the noses and I struck up the song and everyone including the adults joined in.
After the song I began to share how the story was a story about how a reindeer named Rudolph was made fun of because he was different. He tried to hide who he was and what made him unique and different and special. I told the young people that with our Affirming process, the new Mission Statement spoke about welcoming people who were unique and different and special.
I reminded them that they if they were a different skin color, sexual identity or gender identity, rich or poor, had a different ability or lived with mental illness or came from different cultures…they were special in God’s eyes. They were special and because of that they shined like Rudolph’s nose in the story. As Santa saw Rudolph’s nose as a gift to guide his sleigh…so God sees what makes us different as a gift to guide others to us to find a home…to find what makes them unique.
So let your “inner Rudolph” shine this day…let your difference be seen as a gift…and let your light shine this Advent season for others and lead them home to a place where they are loved and valued.
And so we pray…
O Holy One
You who created us with love,
who knew us in our Mother’s womb,
who carved us in the palm of your hand…
tweek our Ruldoph nose within and help our light shine.
May we shine brightly this day loving ourselves and loving others that their “inner Rudolph” may also shine this Advent day. We ask this in the name of the one who guided people back home to you. Amen.
