The Incarnation - Child like acceptance

 The Christ Child, the bringer of peace, the bringer of righteousness and justice is born once more. It is as we celebrate this day that we acknowledge the Christ that is present in us all. Yet, it is more than that for the reading from John's gospel, which many avoid because it is not Christmassy, brings and important depth to our celebrations this day. John's gospel has a great theological depth and is the most recent of the Gospels that are included in the canon. The passage at the beginning that we read today takes us back to the beginning of our scriptures in Genesis 1. In doing so we tie both the beginning and the end together into one cohesive all and fathom the depths of God's love for his creation both human and other.

From the passage at the beginning of John (Jn 1:1-5) we can see that the incarnate word was present at the start of creation when stability was brought into being from the chaosomos that was present. Words have power over creation and over life. In the modern setting that seems to bring to the fore images of 'magic' rather than images of faith. Yet, for the people of John's time and for those that came after the descriptive words contain truth. The word became flesh as a reality in our time. The incarnation is about the inexpressible becoming expressible in our daily lives. For us today, we feel that mere words cannot convey for us a reality beyond a mere description unless we have the eyes of a child and can accept such things like a child. Our modernity has put a large number of filters in our way that prevents us from seeing the truth of the presence of God in the child born in Bethlehem.

Can we see the world through the eyes of a child?

Faith and those things that are a part of belief in something beyond ourselves has been confined by our own understanding of the world. At the time that John wrote these words at the beginning of the gospel there was a link that was forged between what was written and the faith that each person lived out in the reality of the world. The reminder of God's presence at the beginning of time in bringing order out of a chaotic situation to create rather than to bring destruction. This reminder is applied to the Christ for us to take up the understanding in our lives, our believe, that God brings creation out of the disorder that is our current life. The incarnation of God's word lets us know and become aware that our thoughts and our insights are nothing compared to the creative ability that God gives to us by God's presence in our lives. The present is God's gift to us and we need to see that gift as being something creative in our lives. However, like spoilt children we often discard the gift that has been given as we hanker after the offerings of the world rather than the love that is found in community and family.

It is the acceptance of the gift that is displayed by the youngest child that is of importance for us in how we look to the future. It is with the eyes of one who has not been tainted by the world that we need to view our world. This is what will allow us to perceive the grace and hope that is present in the incarnation. No child below a certain age can see what the adult perceives to be a dangerous and suspicious world but rather they see something that is filled with wonder and love. We, the adults, are the ones that challenge this view and turn it into a perception of hostility at every turn. It is only when we can see with the eyes of child will we begin once more to see as Christ in the midst of a world torn apart by our own prejudices. It is only when we can see and perceive the world as a place filled with mystery and love will we begin to bring peace into our societies. It is only when we see with childlike love that we will begin to repair the brokenness of the world that is torn apart by personal greed. It sounds simple does it not. It is simple and perhaps that is our problem to overcome. It is TOO simple for the complexity that has been the makeup of our lives in the modern age. I saw an ad on FB recently that was a plea for vaccines to be sent to Africa. It encompassed the greed and the hoarding that is to the detriment of the world as it spoke of COVID from the perspective of 2025 (6 years in) and the destruction of society because of our selfishness as nations and as people of God. As we welcome the Christ Child this day may we who follow Christ and remember that our own lives are nothing compared to the lives of our neighbours. That it is through love that we can change the world we live in.

Central to the Incarnation

 This is the last step on our journey towards the incarnation and the celebration that we as Christians commit to on a yearly basis. It is not the Xmas of commercialism that has become the tradition. It is not the paraphernalia of expensive gift giving and rites that have been debased to a frenzy of anxiety and fearfulness in the eyes of many. Rather it is a gathering together of the faithful in a celebration around the Christ Mass in its simplicity and welcome that reveals at its heart love rather than division, anxiety, loss and hate. Today we celebrate that love and renew it in our hearts so that we may join together once more to celebrate the coming of Christ into the midst of a world churned by violence and divided by hatred.

Community is about accepting the other into our hearts with love

Love is an ideal or at least we idealise it for ourselves. However, we need to fathom what it is for ourselves and how we can make it an actuality within the lives of, not just ourselves, but also those around us so that we can form better communities. I do not know about you but I am dreading the coming Federal elections as much as I have been repulsed by the paucity of truth coming out of the current government. The reason I am dreading the coming elections is the total lack of respect and truth that will be peddled in our direction over a period of a month or two. It has inevitably kicked of early and brings a wet blanket to the joy we should be seeing this Christmas. If we are to have people lead us whether it is at local, state or federal levels then they should by rights reflect our normative behaviours and the community's from which they come from. At present most politicians, or at least the ones striving for leadership and renown, I would not have in my backyard as a result of the lack of love, righteousness and peace they exude. Most particularly if they claim any form of religious belief.

Paul in his letter to the Corinthians lays out precisely what love should be and how it is to be expressed in the community. If we cannot begin at the basic level of honest communication and honest reflection of our neighbours then we should not be representing any faith community. At the heart of all faiths is this key concept of respect and love for the other over and above ourselves. The issue is that we often interpret things to our understanding and not align ourselves with God's understanding. It becomes more and more important for us that what we think is right is right. Thus, when we consider love of neighbour there is usually a proviso tacked onto the end of the thought, "except...". No matter who we are we fall into this fallacy that love of neighbour means those that we consider worthy to be our neighbour. But as both Paul and Christ point out love is above our pettiness and covers all people made in God's image and all life made from God. How can we not include love for and protection for our environment if we love our neighbour?

If we lack the basic understanding that we need to both respect and acknowledge our neighbours point of view we also are unable to begin to express God's love for us. Even John in the womb recognised the other and leapt in joy and love when Mary entered the home (Lk 1:39-45). In preparation for next week we need to understand the basic fundamental of God's redeeming love is available to all despite what we, individually, may believe. Christ is incarnate as a human being not as a some extraordinarily different person or species. No God incarnate that we celebrate next week is a reflection of humanity as a whole. If  a single person in an age that was filled with violence and greed, just as today is, with petty politics and the grubbing for power, just as today is, can exhibit a love for each person they meet then so can we as human beings. It is not a hard thing to do but it is a hard thing to overcome the conditioning that the world has fed us over the many years of our lives. In our last week of reflection before we come before the Christ child to honour and praise God we need to understand this love that God has demonstrated to us in Christ. It is only when we can clearly demonstrate that love amongst ourselves that we can become a transforming community of God's love to the world. It is in that very community that we gather the strength to show love as without the support that each of us gives we will degenerate back into the selfish lives that we so often manage to demonstrate to the world.

Joy comes with love

 It may seem strange that we talk about joy in the face of the reading from Luke that seems to emphasise the evil in people with their reward of fire and brimstone (Lk. 3:7-18). Yet it is sometimes that out of terror we find joy in a world that is beset by pain. In the last two weeks we looked at our faith journey in terms of hope that springs from the darkest moments in our lives and the peace that is brought as we journey in the midst of the desert. In the face of adversity and the horrors of violence comes moments that transcend everything around us and bring joy pouring into our hearts. One such moment is when we see the incarnation and the joy that the Christ child brings. This joy stems from the expectation that we all have when there is new life in the offing.

For many of us we just have to think back to the joy we experienced with the birth of our children to imagine the joy that comes with new life. Yet, we are talking about scripture that speaks of winnowing and threshing both violent and separating events. If we superimpose this on the violent and caustic world in which we live we can begin to entertain some of the understanding that must go with these two concepts. If we have too much concern over the violence we will miss the opportunity to find joy in the beginnings of new life. Even in the worst of situations there is often an overabundance of joy. I can remember touring one of the impromptu residential camps outside of Pretoria. Created not only from an overspill of people from other areas but also as a result of continual development pushing people further and further from the urban population areas. Whilst there was a lot of political resentment, this was in the new South Africa, there was also a lot of joy in the camp. From the birth of new children to the organised chaos of the resident children running and playing after what schooling was available. Despite the poverty and the poor conditions there was joy in and around the life that was lived.

Relax and understand God in our hearts

It is the acceptance of what we have been given by God that allows us to fully experience the joy that is in life. This takes courage (Zeph. 3:16) to live up to and exceed, even in the toughest of conditions, God's presence in our lives. It is God's delight in our lives and acceptance of Christ within them that brings joy not only into our hearts but the hearts of those who are part of God's community. It is often at the bottom of our lives that we really begin to understand God's presence and it is at that time that we begin to dwell in the joy that God's love brings. This is where the peace we spoke of last week comes as we embrace the presence of God in the worst of conditions. Being human there is a draw back to all this lovely talk about joy and that is that we tend to be anxious over every small set back in life that we have (Phil. 4:6). No matter what the condition is that has created our state it only increases our own anxieties as we have no understanding as to what the future has in store for us. It is only when we have God's love in our hearts that we tend to find joy in our context and allow our anxieties to melt away into the wind of chance.

We are each and every day encouraged to indulge in our anxieties. To exaggerate them until such time as they overwhelm and defeat us. In doing so we lock out the joy that should be present in our hearts when we take up Christ's burden and love ourselves and our neighbours in God's presence. It is only in looking forward continually and listening to the voice from out of the wilderness that is our hearts to we begin to appreciate the joy that is ever present around us in creation. We seldom look beyond our angst and anxiety riddled life that we can experience the joy that is close to our hearts. In leaving the things that concern us behind we achieve the fulfilment of our hearts. It is like going on a long expected holiday and actually taking time out to relax. We take holidays but we seldom actually relax. Many will be going off at this season to be with family whom they have not seen for sometime. Yet, I know that that will not necessarily be a time of putting away the concerns that trouble us. Nine times out of ten there will be concerns raised over kids and grand kids that will add to the concerns and anxiety. Rather we need to let those disappear, let our families relax and not burden us with the pettiness of life that raises our anxiety so that we can truly let go and let God.

 

A cry from the wilderness

 We spoke last week of prophecy and prophets which move us on in the Advent cycle to the candle that symbolises faith, peace and the journey into a place of new beginnings, Bethlehem. John cried out in the wilderness to a people who had lost their faith and were living in a time of violence. A prophet at a specific time and place calling in a setting bereft of life to bring new meaning and new life into the lives of the people of the covenant. A call from the deserted places of our lives to incarnate a faith that glows with the power of love and peace. In moving towards the incarnation we recognise that our faith journey often ends up in the wilderness. The wilderness of disappointment and solitude. A wilderness that is founded upon our own deserted dreams and aspirations burnt to dust by the grind of daily life in an era that does not understand faith and its fulfilment in our lives. In looking at John's call from the wilderness there is a point where we need to understand that the call that comes from God often comes from a wilderness experience.

The present day is perhaps very similar to the Middle East at the time of the incarnation in terms of violence and division. The nations of the world are divided in terms of how or what peace means; on how to manage or support environmental change and other needs that affect all peoples. There is no possibility of dialogue within the true meaning of listening but rather a continual babble of wants and desires that affect the world's abilities to respond together as humanity; rather than individual needs and requirements for advancement or perceived progress in wealth and prosperity for a few. There are numbers that call from the devastation of their lives who live in deserts created by selfish others who look only to profit from the misery of others. We just have to look at the response to efforts to bring the world back to some semblance of normality in the aftermath of COVID to see how sense is a small voice that is besieged in the desert winds of denialists and those that are anti anything to do with ensuring health and well being. In many respects the faith groups of the world are just as divided and are unable to bring some sort of hope and peace to those who have been devastated by the ravages of COVID and war.

Future peace is brought with dialogue and understanding

In the deserted places of our hearts we have no peace and we yearn for something to fill the emptiness. Our hope that we carried over from last week is a nascent shoot in the middle of nothingness that we supply with our faith to help it to grow in a manner that brings peace rather than confrontation. God calls us towards peace not towards violence and as people who journey in faith we need to understand that our relationships need to be built on peace. Our current age allows and encourages us towards confrontation by giving us binary decisions to make rather than seeing new beginnings in an atmosphere of listening and understanding. The desert allows us to remove all the clamouring from our lives and allows us to listen for the persistent voice that is quietly calling us to freedom and peace.  A call that has resounded through the ages and is culminated in the incarnation of Christ who shows us the way forward through acceptance and dialogue.

We ourselves cannot be complacent when we hear God call to us and just accept the status quo. Rather we must actively seek God's blessing upon us so that we can embark towards new ministries and new ways of doing things for God's rule. Only when we manifest God's love in our lives and open the dialogue that is necessary to bring reconciliation and healing between peoples in our communities will we begin the enact God's call. It is all very well for us to pray and speak about how wonderful God is but without changing how we act in our lives we will be no closer to bringing God's peace and encouraging our faith to burgeon and lighten the load that is on the community in which we live. We face a new world out there, one that has been forged in the fires of COVID and denial of change. In facing that new world we need to place our faith in God's presence and listen to God's voice leading us towards God's peace.