Show and Tell

Go, tell it on the mountain

over the hills and everywhere;

go, tell it on the mountain

that Jesus Christ is born!  (old spiritual)

How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news...

who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion,

your God reigns!  (Isaiah 52:7)

Remember "Show and Tell" in kindergarten?  What an exciting event!  Each week a child was chosen to bring in something special from home and share it with the class.  I could hardly wait for my turn!  I knew exactly what I would bring:  my Raggedy Ann doll!  Her rosy cheeks and sweet smile comforted me when I spent a few days in the hospital to have my tonsils out.  I hugged her floppy body tight during a trip to the ER when my brother and I shared a whole bottle of baby aspirin.  She slept with me at night and I could hug her if I woke from a bad dream.  I loved her and could not wait to bring her to the classroom and tell everyone why!  Though beautiful in my eyes, in reality she looked tattered and worn.  Pride in my special toy helped me overcome my slight shyness as I held her up in front of the class and talked about why I loved her.  Then at recess, a little boy came up to me on the playground.  "Why'd you bring your doll to Show and Tell?"  he scoffed.  "That was really stupid!"  My face fell.  Maybe I shouldn't have shared my precious doll and my feelings about her with the class.

Robert Fulghum said that all he really needed to know he learned in kindergarten.  There I learned that sharing from the heart risks rejection.  Today, I have a special friend in Jesus.  Yet, too often I can think I don't need to tell others about Him if my life will simply show them that He is Lord.  But thinking back to the days of Show and Tell puts a lie to the temptation.  What if I had just brought in my Raggedy Ann doll and put her on the teacher's desk for all to see and then sat down?  No one would know why she was so important to me.  They would not know just by looking how she had comforted me with her presence through my scary times.  They may have been able to see my love for her in her worn appearance, but they would never know why I loved her.  When I shared, that little boy told me my doll was stupid, but that didn't mean the whole class felt that way.  So I had a choice to make:  the next time it was my turn for Show and Tell, would I be brave enough to share something so personal again?

The shepherds that first Christmas night had a similar choice to make:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,

keeping watch over their flocks at night. 

An angel of the Lord appeared to them and said: ..."I bring you good news of

 great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David

 a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord..." 

 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 

(Luke 2:8,9,16)

When the angel told the shepherds the good news, they verified it with their own eyes.  What if they had stopped there?  What if the shepherds had gone to see the Baby Jesus, had glorified and praised God amongst themselves for what they had heard and seen, but did not tell anyone else for fear of rejection?  Instead, the gospel writer Luke tells us that:  "When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them."

As Christians, we too have good news to share.  If we only live a life that glorifies God, that would be like me putting Raggedy Ann on the desk and walking away.  People may see Christ in us, but they won't know the details of how He has comforted us through our roughest times.  They won't know why we love Him!  How will people react when we share this good news?  That first Christmas "all who heard" were amazed.  Perhaps it won't be that way in your life if you tell others about this Jesus - you may be told, like I was by that little boy, that what you share is stupid.  But I bet there are some who will be amazed.

Go tell it on the mountain, not only that Jesus Christ is born but that He was born to die so that through Him we might live.  And that is good news that needs to be told!

Prayer:  Father, like the shepherds I too glorify and praise You for what You have done.  I want to be counted among those who bring good news.  Loosen my tongue O Lord so that what is in my heart may be spoken to those who need to hear the message of salvation.  Amen.