Which brings me to my second question \u2013 who is Jesus? For the Christian claim is that Jesus is God, and this too is unbelievable. It\u2019s most unbelievable because God is so almighty and powerful and awesome and totally beyond our comprehension. He\u2019s the biggest and the best. Yet the Christian claim is that this defenceless baby, settled in with the animal feed, warmed by the breath of the cattle \u2013 this totally helpless, vulnerable, pathetic creature \u2013 this is God. This is where we find God. This is where the meaning of all our lives finds its clearest expression \u2013 something which isn\u2019t strong, which isn\u2019t proud, which is wholly dependent on the kindness of strangers.<\/p>\n
And what does this mean for my third question \u2013 who am I? Who are we? I\u2019d like to suggest that the answer to that question depends on the answer to the other two questions. For if the living god himself isn\u2019t interested in being the almighty and supreme being, even stronger than Superman \u2013 what we might think of as the great fascist in the sky \u2013 if he, if even he is prepared to empty himself, to take the form of a slave, a helpless human child, and precisely through being so weak to bring life to us, to redeem us, to set us free from the law of sin and death and allow us to become the people we are most deeply called to be \u2013 if our god is prepared to do this for us, doesn\u2019t this say something about who we are? That perhaps we too don\u2019t need to be quite so concerned about appearing strong? I don\u2019t know about you, but if you\u2019re anything like me then sometimes you\u2019ll be concerned with keeping up appearances \u2013 that illusion that we are in control, an illusion that is so important we can occasionally even come close to persuading ourselves that it\u2019s true. Of course, it\u2019s never true \u2013 we\u2019re never in control, we too are vulnerable, we are weak, we break down and things go wrong and we get them wrong and we blame ourselves but really what we\u2019re most frightened of is someone else discovering that this fa\u00e7ade of being in control is just an illusion… We\u2019re like those guinea pigs running on their wheels \u2013 we can never get to the place of rest, and the faster we run the more the process destroys us. But if we don\u2019t have to pursue this agenda of keeping our appearances up \u2013 when we\u2019re not making ourselves weak by pretending to be strong \u2013 then we have a chance to live the way God is calling us to live.<\/p>\n
God loves us more deeply than we can know \u2013 it\u2019s an unbelievable thing, not least because we are not worthy \u2013 but it doesn\u2019t stop him loving us. He has something in mind for us, a way of life that is more complete, more fulfilling, more exciting and moving than anything that we can devise for ourselves. But we spend our lives saying yes to the world \u2013 saying \u2018yes\u2019 I want that new car! Yes, I want that new toy! Yes I need to wear that deodorant in order to become attractive to the opposite sex! None of these things help us to become who we most truly are. The only yes that counts is the yes that we can say to God \u2013 the yes of Mary. No buts, just a yes. And trust that this unbelievable process \u2013 a god who is prepared to be so weak \u2013 for us \u2013 has the real power of setting us free from all the things which destroy our lives \u2013 which consume our souls and don\u2019t even offer us a receipt, let alone a guarantee.<\/p>\n
In Christ the light has come into the world; a light which sets us free, and allows us to live in the light. This is what John\u2019s gospel calls becoming a child of god. We know what this sort of person is \u2013 we\u2019ve all met people who seem to have a sense of peace or groundedness that immunises them against all the things which stress the rest of us mere mortals. These children of God are the ones who know that they are loved by the Father. That the Father sees right through them, isn\u2019t taken in by all the pretences and the fa\u00e7ades and illusions that we build up around ourselves to make ourselves appear worthy in the sight of the world \u2013 the Father sees through all that, he sees all the secrets of our hearts \u2013 yes, even those ones that we can\u2019t admit to ourselves \u2013 he sees it all. And he loves us.<\/p>\n
And don\u2019t underestimate this. Don’t underestimate what a challenge it is. It\u2019s a very difficult thing, accepting that we are unconditionally loved. We find it unbelievable, so we don\u2019t believe it, so we keep on destroying our lives trying to earn something that is given to us for free.<\/p>\n
And because of this unbelievable love, which is there no matter what we do \u2013 it\u2019s unearnt, unmerited \u2013 this unbelievable love is what sets us free to be ourselves. If you can\u2019t make God love you any more than he does already then there is no longer any need to pretend to be what you\u2019re not. We can become who we are.<\/p>\n
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Free to be ourselves, free to be the children of God, playing in the garden; trusting that the one in charge of it all loves us \u2013 no, more than loves us, he actually likes us, he likes who we are. Not the false stuff; not the destructive stuff \u2013 he hates that more than we do, because he can really see how it damages us \u2013 no, he sees the real me, and he likes what he sees.<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
The Father knocks on my door,
Seeking a home for his Son.<\/p>\n
Rent is cheap, I say.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t want to rent, I want to buy, says God.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure I want to sell, I think I will, says God.<\/span><\/p>\n I might let you have a room or two.<\/p>\n I like it, says God. I\u2019ll take the two. You might decide to give me more some day.<\/span> I can wait, says God.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019d like to give you more, but it\u2019s a bit difficult. I know, says God, but I\u2019ll wait; I like what I see.<\/span><\/p>\n Hmm. Maybe I can let you have another room. Thanks, says God. I\u2019ll take it. I like what I see.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019d like to give you the whole house, but I\u2019m not sure.<\/p>\n Think on it, says God; I would not put you out.<\/span> Your house would be mine and my son would live in it.<\/span> You\u2019d have more space than you\u2019ve ever had before.<\/span><\/p>\n I don\u2019t understand at all.<\/p>\n I know, says God, but I can\u2019t tell you about that.<\/span> You have to discover it for yourself.<\/span> That can only happen if you let me have the whole house.<\/span><\/p>\n A bit risky, I say.<\/p>\n Yes, says God, but try me.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure. I\u2019ll let you know.<\/p>\n I can wait, says God. I like what I see.<\/span><\/p>\n ~~~<\/p>\n Christmas is unbelievable. God taking the form of a human baby, excluded from society, sleeping with the cattle. Yet this story, this truth, this light breaking in to our world \u2013 this is the good news of God; that finally, here is the answer to all our questions.<\/p>\n I would like to begin tonight by sharing three questions with you: Who is Mary? Who is Jesus? Who am I? Mary is nobody significant. From what we can gather she was probably a young teenager; a servant girl, not … Continue reading
But you might come in to look around.<\/p>\n
I need some space for me.<\/p>\n
I really don\u2019t need that much.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_h8lco0yxl-k\/RZAnRr81t3I\/AAAAAAAAAJU\/okZlMFUj7YQ\/s400\/madonna.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"