This fall I was reading Charlottes Web aloud at bedtime to my kindergarten-aged daughter, when a light bulb moment occurred to me about how a timeless book could be connected to the Christmas gospel story. Keep reading for a Christmas adventure into this tale.
Wilbur is the runt of the litter of piglets. There is nothing extraordinary about him at all.
In fact, runts dont often make it as main characters on the farm. The barnyard animals warn him that he will likely be made into ham which causes the resident spider to get to work. It is Charlottes principal goal to save Wilburs life. She sets out skillfully writing words into her web: some pig, radiant, terrific, and humble are woven into her silken masterpieces.
They draw attention to Wilbur in a way that brings many visitors to the farm, a trip to the county fair, and even a special award for his skill in bringing the community together. Charlottes Web ultimately saves Wilburs life. Wilbur does nothing to save himself.
A carpenter and a teenage mother from a backwater town are engaged to be married and suddenly pregnant. They travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted for the census and while they are there Mary gives birth to her child. They lay him in a food trough where the animals reside.
There is nothing extraordinary or remarkable about them. It is God who speaks into the story and makes this ordinary story about a baby an extraordinary one. God spins webs of singing angels and bright stars that gather the community of shepherds and wise men to witness this epic event.
The babe is named Emmanuel, which means God with us. Into that manger on that first Christmas was born salvation for us.
In doing so, the divine author of this story makes us extraordinary, too. We live in a broken world where we are constantly questioning our worth and thinking that it is our job, relationships, money, beauty, etcetera that define us.
However, that couldnt be further from the good news. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. That extraordinary act of love is a gift to us from the web writer. God weaves into our story a web that names us creations of the creator, beloved of the beloved, saved by the savior, and ultimately some child of God.
May this be good news of great joy for you this Christmas!
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