Every visitor to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which stands on the site of the stable where Christ was born, must stoop to enter. For the main entrance to the church is so low that no person, except a child, may walk through it erect. The door was made in this fashion to prevent medieval raiders from riding their horses into the church to persecute the Christians and disrupt services of worship. Although the threat of the medieval raiders has long since passed, the low door of the church has not been heightened to offer a more dignified and easier access to the birth shrine.

It has become symbolic and has become known as "Humility Gate." Regardless of station in life, all who would visit the place of our Lord’s birth must enter the same low door in the same humble fashion. They must stoop down to enter one of the holiest and most sacred shrines of all Christendom.

When bending down to enter Humility Gate, I recalled that this was the same way our Lord entered the human scene that first Christmas. Born in a stable, at the backyard of the world, he came without royal pomp or splendor but made his entrance at humility gate and thereby most completely identified himself with all mankind. The world into which Christ was born was very much like our own. It, too, had its share of sadness, was torn by war, and was filled with suffering, injustice, and insecurity. Contrary to the pictures on our Christmas cards, Bethlehem was a crowded, dirty, on-the-other-side-of-the-tracks kind of a city, filled with the worst that surrounds all that is wretched. God Incarnate chose to stoop to the uttermost, through a humble experience common to all, that of being born into the world as a baby, in the least of all circumstances. That is how far his great love went in order to show the world his never-ending quest for the souls of men. By such action he has interpreted to all mankind that no one is beyond the reach of his compassion, mercy, and forgiveness.

Upon leaving that church it is necessary once again to stoop at Humility Gate. Again, I was struck by the thought that not only did our Lord come to us by way of humility gate in the stable, but he left this earth by way of humility gate on the cross. Taking upon himself the sins of the world, he left this mortal life as a crucified commoner, for crucifixion was a mode of punishment used only for nobodies. A Roman citizen was not allowed to be crucified. This form of torture was left for the dregs of humanity, the expendable.

Later, on visiting the Upper Room, I pondered further the thought of the utterly uncomplicated act of remembrance which he left as the symbol of his life, ministry, teaching, and death. Before he instituted the Last Supper, John’s Gospel tells us that he washed the feet of his disciples, the lowliest act of servitude imaginable. In the complete simplicity of the Communion Service, Christ has left his humble legacy for all Christendom. He left no organization, only a few questionable followers. He had no biographer; the Gospels were written after he was dead. In that Upper Room there was no elaborate ceremony of farewell, no specific plans that would guarantee the success of his venture. He used the simple elements of the common meal, bread and wine, as the everlasting symbols of his eternal sacrifice. No group would ever be too poor to experience the Holy Supper with such ordinary and abiding elements. And no group could become so great and powerful without being reminded and brought to humble recognition that in the simplicity of bread and wine, we have the central meaning of the Christian faith: humility before God who is creator, sustainer, and redeemer of life.

"This is my body which is broken for you ... this is my blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins ... this do in remembrance of me." Here is the acted parable. It is the same gate of humility through which all of us must enter in order that we might know the full meaning of our Christian faith.

In the last conversation with his disciples around the lowly, common table, he said to them, "I am the way and the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me." He who came in by the back door of the world went from that little supper meeting in the Upper Room to a wind-swept hill where he died on the cross of Calvary, leaving this world by the low door of sin and suffering.

By his example we are reminded that there is no other way to come to God than his way, by stooping at humility gate. "I am the way ... no man cometh unto the father but by me." This morning we stoop to enter his presence by spiritually kneeling before him in wonder and in love. As we kneel we sense our inadequacies, our failures, and our mistakes. In the light of his life we see the stains of pride, arrogance, selfishness, and our own lovelessness. Bitter words that we have spoken echo in our ears. Unkind acts rise up to haunt us. Our spiritual muscles ache from resisting where we know we have been called out to self-giving and service. We are tormented by what we truly are, in the light of his birth, life, and death. And what we see makes us wonder what there is in our nature for God to love us so.

The one thing we all have in common is that we have too often failed to fulfill the will of God and have fallen short of his glory. Our hope and consolation is that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. He sent him not to exact tribute, not to assess fines, not to crush and condemn, not to punish and persecute, but in love he sent his Son to forgive. And restoration comes only when we are humble enough to acknowledge our needs in the words of The Book of Common Worship: "Do you confess your need of the forgiveness of sins and with a humble and contrite heart put your whole trust in the mercy of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord?" With such an acknowledgement we all enter humility gate. Coming to show us the way, our Lord stooped in love to humbly help humanity, and he asks nothing of us which he has not already done himself.

As we come to Christmas, let us not lose sight of the fact that Christ entered the world by humility gate. Let us meet him at Christmas as we, too, enter Humility Gate and give thanks and praise to almighty God for his love to us as revealed in Christ our Lord. In Communion we meet face to face. The broken bread and the poured-out cup are symbols of his presence with us. The Lord of all life says, "Follow me, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me." Let us take the lowly road to Christmas that it might be for us a rebirth of the highest and noblest that is in us.