“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
This Christmas especially, I find myself thankful for the miracle of the incarnation. So much of it is a mystery to me, yet it comforts me to be reminded that my redeemer once had a human body and once walked among us.
I generally shy away from discussing my job on this blog, but the short story is that I am a social worker and sometimes it is really hard. I cannot imagine anything else I would rather be doing and am truly honored by the work, but it is difficult to confront daily ugly parts of the world like poverty and cruelty. Even though I love what I do, I still have days when I just want to hide under my covers from all of that.
It eases my soul to remember that God understands these uglier parts of the human experience. I believe that because one time he was born in a manger. As John says, he became flesh. I don’t know for certain, but I imagine that was an uncomfortable transition. Suddenly he had a body and sometimes bodies are not so great. We get too hot or too cold, too hungry or too tired. We stub our toes and get tummy aches. These things are all infinitesimal compared to the suffering of the cross, but they help me appreciate the miracle of Jesus being fully God and fully human.
It also helps me to remember that because Jesus once dwelt among us, he lived in relationship with others and in a social context. He lived among those who were broken and sick. He spent time with little children. He grieved with dear friends. He had firsthand experience with poverty, suffering, and injustice. He knows what it is like.
Christmas is a beloved chapter in a much bigger story. So much more could be said about what the birth of Jesus means but this year I want to just turn the corner of the page down right there and spend this season being grateful for this mystery of God in human form.
Merry Christmas.
