Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:17)

Dayenu (דַּיֵּנוּ) is a Hebrew word which means “enough for us.”  Dayenu is also the name of a song that has been sung as part of the celebration of Passover for more than 1000 years.  The song has 15 stanzas and each stanza speaks of one of the mighty acts of God in delivering the children of Abraham from bondage in Egypt, leading them through the desert and giving them the Law and the land of Israel.  After each of these acts of God, beginning with being brought out of Egypt, the people sing the refrain dayenu – ‘it would have been enough for us.’

The point of the song is that those singing remember that God’s goodness has been super-abundant, but even if God had only done one of the many acts of deliverance for God’s people, dayenu – it would have been enough for us.

To me, Christmas is the dayenu celebration.  You will hear people say that Easter is the only really important Christian holiday and they have a very strong case.  For one thing, the history of the Church indicates that Christmas was not seen as very important.  It seems that Christmas was not widely celebrated until the mid-300’s and it was not considered a major feast for another couple hundred years.  Easter, on the other hand was celebrated as the feast of the Christian year from the very beginning.

Nevertheless, if I ever had the privilege of naming a church, I would call it Emmanuel, or Church of the Nativity, or Church of the Incarnation.  When God takes on flesh and walks in history, that is dayenu – enough for me.  All I need to know about God is written in Bethlehem.  From this I know that God is not a remote, indifferent Force, but a living and loving Presence.  From this I know that God believes in us and has not given up on us.  From this I know that God dwells with us, that God does not come to judge or to destroy but comes in love and trust.  God trusts Mary to hold, and feed and comfort God-in-Flesh. 

God believes in us, and that is dayenu – enough for us to believe in God.

Prayer:Incarnate God, you did not, and you do not, leave us to ourselves.  Thank you for coming among us in Christ and for visiting us even now in your Spirit.  Dayenu – that is enough for us.  Amen.