A Random Act of Culture

 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. (John 1:14-18 ESV).

 

A “random act of culture”… that’s a description of what we have come to know as a “flash mob.” I recently read an article about the talented men of Vocal Point teamed up with Stuart Edge for such a one of a kind Christmas surprise. Passengers boarded a Polar Express-themed train but they had no idea about the surprise in store. When the men stood up and started singing one by one you couldn’t miss seeing the joy in the passengers eyes. I just love these reactions to such Christmas flashmobs.

 

However, as is typical of these gatherings, it takes a while to understand what is going on around you. They usually begin with one or two people and build as others join in the synchronized performance. I’ve only witnessed one in person once. It was a local mall in Tennessee. It was a normal Christmas shopping day until, without any fanfare, over 300 performers of all ages joined together and began singing Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” At first, shoppers appeared confused as they came to see what was happening. The singers were not on a stage but were interspersed among the shoppers. This “random act of culture” may have looked spontaneous, but it took some effort to make this event happen.

 

When Jesus appeared on earth, it initially looked like a random birth. Though a few people knew of Jesus’ coming, most were unaware of the plans that had been made in heaven in order to bring us a Savior. The Gospel of John gives us a glimpse into the background planning that went into bringing Jesus to us. The birth of Christ was more than a simple occasion of a young woman giving birth in a stable, to which shepherds and wise men came to visit. This was an occasion that God had choreographed to rescue people from all nations. Let’s rejoice today, for God made his dwelling on earth for us!