A Christmas homily from a North Carolina Pastor? On The Wisdom Daily? A week after Christmas? Yes, yes and yes.
The Christmas homily was shared by Rev. Dr. Herbie Miller, who is not only an alum of a Stand and See Fellowship trip but has moved into offering leadership for Stand and See as well. As you will see, the wisdom that Herbie shares is not limited to Church-going Christians and reflects an ethos that animates a great deal of Clal’s work across a great many domains: harvesting deep passion and commitment even as it cultivates genuine humility. And since that wisdom is truly timeless, and timely, sharing it as we depart 2024 and enter 2025, feels especially appropriate. Enjoy!
Herbie preached the following homily during the Christmas Eve service at MorningStar Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC, where he serves as the pastor.
The Humility Door
Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-20
Rev. Dr. Herbie Miller
Two summers ago, I visited Bethlehem while on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The town, located in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, is home to the Church of the Nativity, the traditional site of Jesus’ birth. To enter the church, you need to pass through a small doorway called the “humility door.” It’s only four feet tall and two feet wide, meaning everyone—regardless of status—must bend low to enter. Pilgrims from around the world, from dignitaries to everyday travelers, stoop to step inside.
This door was deliberately made small centuries ago to prevent invaders from riding horses into the sacred space. Today, it serves as a profound reminder that approaching the birthplace of Christ requires humility. This humility isn’t just a feature of the Church of the Nativity; it’s woven into the entire Christmas story.
The wonder of which begins with Isaiah’s words that capture how God is at work with his people: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” What’s extraordinary is how that light arrives—not through power or conquest, but through a child. “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders.” Think about this: the light of the world doesn’t burst onto the scene with armies or royal splendor. Instead, it enters in the form of a helpless baby born in obscurity.
Isaiah’s prophecy prepares us for the light to come, and Luke’s Gospel shows us how that light breaks into the world—not with fanfare, but through quiet humility. God chose a young, unassuming girl, Mary, and her carpenter fiancé, Joseph. This couple found themselves in a stable, not a palace, when it was time for Jesus to be born. And the first people to hear the news weren’t rulers or scholars but shepherds—among the lowest and most overlooked workers of their day—who, though initially afraid, had the courage to trust God’s invitation despite their doubts.
From beginning to end, the story of Jesus’ birth shows us that God’s kingdom values the humble, the ordinary, and the overlooked. God’s light enters the world not through power but through humility—shining first in the most unexpected places and to the most unlikely people.
The humility door at the Church of the Nativity is more than a physical doorway. It’s a symbol for how we approach Christ. Just as we must stoop to enter that church, we too must lay something down to enter into the life Jesus offers. Pride, fear, striving—these burdens weigh us down and keep us from fully receiving God’s grace. Stepping through the humility door means surrendering. It means coming to God with open hands and a bowed heart, ready to receive the gift of Christ.
The shepherds showed us what this looks like. When the angel appeared to them, they could have dismissed the news. After all, they were just shepherds—who would invite them to something so significant?! But instead of doubting, they responded with haste, running to Bethlehem to see the Christ child. They came empty-handed but left transformed, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.
The good news of Christmas is that Jesus continues to meet us in humble places—in moments of quiet surrender, in acts of love and service, and in the sacredness of our everyday lives. You don’t need to have it all together to come to him. You don’t need to be perfect or important by the world’s standards. You only need to come as you are, willing to kneel at the manger and receive his light.
This Christmas, I invite you to step through the humility door. Leave behind whatever burdens you carry—your pride, your fear, your striving—and come to the manger with a heart bowed low. Maybe for you, that means letting go of the need to control every detail in your life or releasing resentment that’s been weighing you down. Perhaps it’s surrendering the fear that you’re not enough or the constant striving for approval and recognition. It might mean embracing simplicity, slowing down, and being open to the quiet places where God’s presence often meets us. Whatever it is, trust that what you lay down at the manger will make space for the gifts of Christ’s peace, joy, and love.
As we celebrate tonight, may the humility door remind us that Christ still shines his light into our ordinary lives, transforming even the smallest acts of faith and love into glimpses of his kingdom.
Herbie is a pastor and teacher with a passion for building bridges in our society. Through his teaching, writing, and organizing, Herbie brings together diverse communities that seek to promote the common good in America and abroad. His professional interest in bridge building crystallized while he was earning his PhD in Historical Theology at The University of Dayton. There, his research in history and cultural studies introduced him to several overlooked narratives of interreligious collaboration in America’s past. Herbie is currently completing a manuscript for Bloomsbury Publishing about one of these stories from the nineteenth century and what it might teach us today. He is the pastor of MorningStar Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC, and has an MDiv from Emmanuel Christian Seminary and a BA from Kentucky Christian University. A 2022 Stand and See Fellow, Herbie is inspired by Clal’s vision to build bridges in our divided world.