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Anyone out there have childhood memories of a book series called “Choose Your Own Adventure”? The first one came out in 1976 and over the next 20+ years, close to 200 volumes came into print. Before these books came out, I’d always assumed reading to be a one-directional exercise. You start with the front cover and then you move page by page in order till you reach the back cover. The “Choose Your Own Adventure” series was the first time we readers got some choices along the way.
You would start with the front cover, but now when you got to the end of the first chapter, it would pose a question: “What will you do now?… If you would turn left at the end of the road go to page 11. If you would turn right, go to page 22.” Let’s say I decided to turn right. Once I got to the end of the chapter, I’d be faced with another choice. “If you want to proceed into the wizard’s maze, go to page 35. If you want to go back to somewhere safe, turn back to page 11.” You get the picture. You could spend forever in just one book because there were so many possible endings.
I’ve been wondering of late about what it would be like if the Christmas story we hear each year were written as a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book. In Chapter One, we would be in Nazareth and the angel Gabriel would appear to Mary, letting her know that in all of human history she had been chosen to be the mother Jesus who would bring God’s Light, God’s Word, God’s Hope into the world in a new and wonderful way. And yet she faces a choice. She could say “no” because it’s a very scary thing to bring a child into the world, especially when you are not married. And then God would have had to go back to page 1 and come up with another plan altogether. But what we know is that Mary said “yes.” So turn to page 11.
It is not like the story is over, though, is it? It is not like now that she has said “yes” everything goes as planned happily ever after. Because now Mary’s fiancé Joseph has to make a choice. Should he still marry Mary or not? His choice could send the story in two radically different directions. One where Mary is put to death and everything again has to go back to page 3. Or one where he takes Mary into his home as his wife. Move on to page 22.
As the story goes on, there are many other choices to be made. The people of Bethlehem have a choice: Give Mary and Joseph shelter in their town or not. They choose not; go to page 35. The shepherds have a choice: Listen to the voice of the angel and go see Mary’s baby born in Bethlehem or not. They choose to go; turn to page 42.
Later in this Christmas season we’ll meet the magi who see a curious star in the sky. Go or stay? Go. Turn to page 67. They meet Herod who tells them to seek out the child and then come back to him. What do they do? Do they come back? What if they had done what Herod wanted them to do? How would the story have ended differently? Mary and Joseph had time to flee. But what would have happened if the Egyptians chose to turn them away?
Choices matter, don’t they? Because they can lead to very different endings of the story.
And here is the important thing to remember about the Christmas story: It isn’t over yet. Jesus was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. He brought God’s light, God’s Word, God’s hope into the world in a powerful way for the people of his time, but it was never supposed to be only for his time. That Light, that Word, that Hope was supposed to reach all people. It is meant to shine into every hidden and sad corner of the earth. But whether it does or not depends on choices that we still make each and every day. Whether like Mary and Joseph we will now protect light and hope wherever it is in danger. Whether we will now keep God’s promises alive even when it costs us something personally to do so.
We are still in the “Choose Your Own Adventure” book that is called history.
The good news is that because of Jesus’ birth and the choices made by our ancestors in faith, we will never need to go back to page 1 again. Even better, because of Jesus’ birth, we know now that there is now only one ultimate end to this book, and we are promised that it is a good one. We can trust that there will come a day when God’s light and hope will fill the earth. But whether the road toward that end will be straight or curvy, smooth or mountainous—whether it will proceed going forward to the next chapter on page 857, or back to page 81 again—that depends on us and our choices.
As we approach a new year—2025—like Mary in our Christmas Gospel, let’s take a moment to pause and hold the mystery in our hearts: We are still part of this great adventure.
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This week I'd love to call your attention to my Waking Up Goliath podcast interview with Mary Mirrione, the national director for CGSUSA. Mary is one of those amazing leaders who is constantly making choices on behalf of the vulnerable children in our world. Her commitment to sharing the light of Christ with children in poverty has led to extensive collaboration with the Missionaries of Charity and the Franciscan Friars in such diverse places as India, Portugal, Bangladesh, and Honduras. Listen and it will renew your faith in humanity.