Incarnated life

It is with out doubt one of the worst years the world has lived through for a long while. In terms of both political upheaval and the following of our own wishes rather than those around us. We need to look at America, as in the USA and the dis-United Kingdom. In terms of Australia we need look no further than the pandering of those with monetary worth and power to see that the self is paramount in this world and by the looks of it the next. Do we need to go into depth with regards the poor political and personal landscape of modern Australia and the world, I do not think so. At this time of the year we re-live in our faith communities an alternate expression which we apparently refuse to live out in the world.

This alternate has been looked at over the period of Advent with the prophesies from Scripture and the generation of hope, peace, love and joy reflected in the readings for each Sunday. It is an alternate that is incarnated in the humbleness of a small country home surrounded by animals for warmth. We need only remind ourselves of the feelings we ourselves felt (for those that are old enough) when our first, second, third child was born. These feelings are recreated at every birth no matter the squalid circumstances. They are the feelings of humanity for its continuation in humble beginnings. Yes, we now have technology and cleanliness for the happy few but there are others who are still in the same boat as Mary on the day that she birthed her son. This is the incarnation that we have awaited for years, set before us in each moment of birth and yet spoilt by our own inward selfishness in the next moment or moments.

Is the manger empty of response?

We have or rather we automatically remove form our hearts the stillness of expectancy, the peace following labour, the joy of new life and the love that is eternal. We immediately begin the rush of our lives all over again to ensure the we (I) do not miss out on anything that will increase my power, my success, my wealth. We have a tendency to focus on one moment and lack the imagination to see beyond that moment in time. To begin to see the start of something new. What happens when in our expectancy and silence, our waiting our acceptance that moment arrives? What are we going to do? Are we going to marvel and then move on into something else or are we going to seize the moment and allow the momentum of God's presence build into a new way, a new life for all? Sometimes we need to dwell on the minutiae but sometimes we need to allow the flow of God's impending presence to push us into the parts of life that are our own bane and anathema. Just think of the shepherds who were out in the fields. All of sudden they were confronted and challenged, how many of us today would have responded? A baby, who cares, a saviour I have my Xbox thanks.

It is this outlook that has marred the celebration of life that is present in the incarnation. A life that is filled with joy as the new I spends time with the other and forms community. A community that is at peace with itself and knows the hope of God's ever present love. This the community of the incarnate God that celebrates with Hosannas and the angelic choir.

Acceptance of faith

In the second week of Advent we light the candle that is called the Bethlehem candle or the candle of faith. A light to all the world that is lit to glorify God and show that in the midst of darkness we can hold the flame that is faith to draw others to ourselves. Faith a tenuous yet sometimes strong connection that allows us to open our hearts to the community around and show others what it means to be a Christian. Paul in writing to the Romans details out at least one of the characteristics that we need to focus on with regards our Christian journey at this time. Paul writes "In a word, accept one another as Christ accepted us" (Rom 15.7).

This above all else takes an act of faith for us as much as the idea of God or Christ or any other aspect of our life together that involves our unseen spiritual relations. This is not a tangible although it does lead to something that is tangible within the world. We need an abundance of faith to undertake this simple act of acceptance for we act between ourselves as if we are each wolves to the others sheep. There is a barrier that we automatically erect when we have or form a community. The barrier is one of fear rather than faith. We fear the other, we are unable to accept the difference between them and us. In our fear we erect a barrier that must be broken down before we can come together as a community. Before the barrier we have erected comes down we must first build trust before opening ourselves up in acceptance. It is unfortunately a natural occurrence as we feel threatened and need the comfort of knowing we will be protected by those who are like us. This is the start of tribalism or community separation.

A thin string of faith allows us to build rather then separate

God's way is so different, it is not about building barriers but about understanding that we are all given life by God;s presence. In Isaiah we read that God's  will is for those that are opposites to come together in peace and harmony (Is 11.6). In the natural world the predator and the prey are extremely unlikely to do what is foretold. Being part of the natural world is this our fate not being able to come together in peace and harmony. Yet, God has given us a hope in this passage a hope that tells us that we can overcome the enmity that is generated by opposites. For us to live as a community of Christ means that we have to overcome this enmity that naturally occurs between two unknowns. We have to take a leap in our understanding of the other; a leap that allows us to accept each other in the faith of Christ knowing that we are each children of God. Only when we can come to accept in faith that the other is ourselves seeking out friendship and love despite our difference will we become one in Christ.

In the end the it is not because we live by the rules of religion that will allow us to live in harmony (Matt 3.9). We make the rules of religion to conform to what we want not what is required of us by God. Christ asks us to form our relationship in love not by rules that govern us. We need to have an acceptance of what our faith tells us so that we can overcome the barriers that we, ourselves, have put in place. Accepting our faith is accepting Christ's call for us to live in peace and acceptance of each other, so that we can each serve as Christ served. Our service is a step in faith to those around us accepting them as they are not as we suppose them to be. It matters not whether we are part of  our own select group that believes this or that but rather that we have sufficient faith to accept the other for who they are and live in harmony that each knows Christ in their lives. Yes, we have to act that out and not act what we think out and that is perhaps the harder part.

Born of Light

At the beginning of the Church year Paul's letter to the Romans reminds us of a few of the commandments (Rom 13.9). These laws that make for a better community. They are a backbone around which our community survives and is able to become a living thing. They are also something that we do not really pay attention to unless they become broken or unless they become a part of the disease process of society at which point we moan and make protest but do not really think about healing. We allow the continued presence of the dis-ease within society learning to cope with it much like a cancer patient who knows that the disease will eventually kill them and there is no cure. This is indeed a diagnoses of our current society world wide as well as ourselves as part of a community of faith.

In looking forward, as we do during Advent, to the coming of Christ and the incarnation we look forward to that time of God's presence that delivers mattocks rather than swords (Isa 2.4). On other words we are looking towards a peace that is beyond all understanding in the midst of war and atrocity the only thing perhaps that we do understand to our detriment. In a society that is governed by God's presence we enter into community acknowledging each as different and yet beloved by God. We appear to be asleep at the wheel of life as we accept as natural the burdens of atrocities that plague our society and communities. We do indeed need to wake up (Rom 13.11b) to the dangers that are present in our societies and communities as a result of complacency towards the precepts of our faith.

Hope appears in the midst of darkness

Not knowing when or where the Christ light will appear dulls our senses and encourages our weakness to re-surface. The weakness of thinking that it is our own efforts that make the difference and so we aggrandise our selves rather than allowing Christ in and humbling ourselves. Once we bein to allow the attitude that we know what is right and proper we begin to fail in our portrayal and reception of Christ in our lives. It becomes an issue of our own self rather than allowing ourselves to let go and allow God's presence to flow into our communities. We do not need the commandments when we are Christlike as everything we do is a surrender to God and an acceptance of God's presence in our lives. The unending need to instill our authority, out wishes and our wants upon those around us shows how little we are accepting of God's presence.

We begin again today in our journey towards the incarnation. In beginning again we need to allow ourselves to accept that we are born of light in Christ. The darkness that we see around us is a creation of our own apathy and need to control. We cannot and do not control anything. We just need to understand this. The kudos received from society is the kudos that promotes darkness within society. We seek a place where there are no guns and other warlike instruments. We seek a place of peace within ourselves and our communities to show God's presence in the acceptance of all who are made in God's image. This is not a place of hatred and division but a place of acceptance and revelation. The presence of God shines out in the most unexpected places to show us where God is not for us to chase but for us to emulate and find God's incarnation closer to us then we think. In starting our journey again we need to re-visit the cold to find the warmth of Christ's light in the hearts of the rejected rather than in the pews of the 'saved'. We look forward in hope to become children of light who have not forgotten and are prepared to ring light into darkness.