Archive for December, 2013

12 Dec

The Greatest Scandal

Posted by holymeetsordinary in Uncategorized. Tagged: .

manger-crossIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5)

To me, these words from the Gospel of John speak of the truth and beauty and order of God, His cosmos and all it contains. We know the Word refers to Jesus, and it makes me think of the expression of God— about to flow out, burst forth – and reveal its true character. When John speaks of life, the Greek word he uses is zoe which refers not to biological life but spiritual life. I bask in these beautiful verses of perfection and order and goodness.

But then verse 14 slams against this picture of perfection, The Word became flesh . . . I recoil. On first read this phrase appalls me. An atrocity—like a fine painting being marred. How could the essence of truth, goodness, and perfection become lowly flesh? Flesh mingled with the grime and grittiness of a human life. How could the Logos, the Divine, debase Himself to be contained in a fleshly body and enter into the world of greed and filth and scarcity?

Jesus lowered Himself to raise us higher. The Holy One infiltrated the flesh, our grimy world, breathing the Divine into us – making us more than physical body and mind – and reminding us that we were created in His image. He took on our crude nature to raise us up into something that could be made glorious – and giving us a spirit to connect with His Spirit.

And what I find truly incomprehensible is this: The Word, whose name is Jesus, did not don our flesh, our human nature, in disgust. Instead, when he walked this earth, he often referred to Himself as Son of Man. As Son of Man, He made Himself one of us, and in doing so gave us dignity. He continues to raise us up and indwell us. Through His eternal gift of the Holy Spirit, He indwells you, He indwells me.

The Word became flesh. Appalling? Yes. Shocking? Yes. Yet, this is love in its purest form.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10

8 Dec

The Light of the World

Posted by holymeetsordinary in Uncategorized.

candlesIt seems everyone is getting ready for Christmas. Seasonal tunes stream from the radio stations; the Villages have been decorated since Halloween; Christmas catalogs and ads offer us the lowest prices ever on things no one really needs, but we don’t have to look far from the glittery pages of the catalog to see the dark, the despair, the hopelessness: parents having to bury their children, families who have no place to live, mothers and fathers losing their jobs and not being able to buy groceries for their children, poor education trapping entire communities in a dead-end existence – the ravages of drugs, alcohol, war, and disease consuming lives . . . sometimes it feels like too much, and life can feel grim, sad, dark.

But God did not wait until our world was pristine and sinless before coming to live with us. In the midst of our sad chaos, a Light shines. The God who created the universe, the atom, and everything in between, encases himself in human flesh and breaks into our planet in the form of a small babe.  The gospel of John says of this baby, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (John 1:4) This infant named Jesus grows into a man who tells us, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). And He shines his light into the dark and shows us a new way of living, a new way of loving.

When light shines in a dark place, the dark is literally changed to light. Light is transformative, and the Light of the world came to transform the sick and the poor and the grieving and the lost – and he came to transform each one of us.

This One, described in the Psalms as being resplendent with light, is crucified and dies, and for a short time those who walked with him fear that the Light of the world might be extinguished forever.

But instead of the Light being quenched by his death, His light radiates even stronger in the form of His Holy Spirit. And when we receive Jesus, we receive the gift of His Holy Spirit so we, too, can be carriers of His light, His love

Every act of love, kindness, generosity, gentleness, reconciliation, patience, forgiveness spreads the light of Christ and helps transform the darkness of our world. Every loving deed has eternal value even when we don’t see or feel it.

Jesus is the light of the world, and He has placed his light – his transformative power – in you and in me. Continue to let His light shine, have hope, share his love and goodness, so others may shine, too—like candles being lit in a dark room. The light that Jesus ignites in you will never be extinguished.

Do not despair – this is not the end – the true light that gives light to everyone has come into our world, and he will come again and drive away all dark and sadness and evil and death, and he will live with us forever. This is the story of Advent and Christmas and Easter and of life and God and you and me. We are part of the story because He shines His light in us.

A blessed Advent to you.