History is often written around the lives and accomplishments of great men. But history unfolds and happens because of the simple and humble lives of ordinary people. The Philippine EDSA Revolution is often written around the likes of Cory Aquino, Cardinal Sin, Marcos, Enrile and Ramos. But it was the millions of ordinary Filipinos who came and gathered on that historic highway who made it happen. Today, with the help of technology, companies sell to markets of one, which then are aggregated to make possible behemoth corporations like Google and Facebook. They focus on ordinary folks, not the stars.
The Christmas story is replete with these simple and ordinary folks, the Quiet in the Land, who made the story happen, who enabled the unfolding of Salvation History:
Mary:”Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Thy word” (Luke 1:38).
Joseph: “Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19)
Zacharias and Elisabeth: “Righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinance of the Lord blameless” (Luke 1:6).
Simeon: “Righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25).
Anna:”A widow… which departed not from the temple, worshipping with fasting and supplications night and day” (Luke 2:37).
The shepherds: “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.: (Luke 2:8)
There were no kings in the story, no generals, no armies, no high priests in the story. Just ordinary folks going about their ordinary, everyday lives. Thus, God moves among the Quiet in the Land, just as He moves in my everyday ordinary life. He may sometimes come in wind and thunder. But often He comes in simple and ordinary things and events, like a cool soothing breeze. He whispers like the wind. He touches me like a warm ray of sunlight.That is all I need to know my God is in my here and now.