Incarnation - my December column in The Melbourne Anglican

There’s no substitute for staying with people. Visiting their patch, sleeping in their house or tent or under their tree, sharing their food, being there in the weary nights and grumpy mornings.

We know this – it’s the basis for numerous immersion experiences, overseas trips for school kids, living with host families in a foreign country. Staying with people lets you in to their world – almost into their shoes – in a way that nothing else can.

I was reminded vividly of this twice a couple of summers ago. The first was visiting our oldest, who had set up house with her partner and was happily carving out her own life. 

When she comes back home, it’s still our world, and she is, to some extent, still one of the kids. At her place it’s different. I have a whole new respect for her achievements and choices. She is relaxed and confident as we willingly learn her way of doing things. I always come away feeling I’ve learnt a whole lot more about my first born than when she comes home and dosses down in the attic room for a night.

The second experience was very different. It involved spending the weekend with people we love who are in a bad place – deep in the agony of marital conflict. Several times over those days we wished ourselves back home. We regretted ever coming. Ugly, embarrassing scenes, tension, situations where, no matter how well you know and love the couple, you have no idea whether to stick your oar in or shut up. 

Uncomfortable as it was, though, we came away profoundly grateful that we had made the effort to spend time with them on their territory. We felt much closer to them, understanding in a more profound way the issues that divide them, more deeply committed to their health and happiness, whatever the outcome of their partnership. 

I reckon this is partly what Christmas is about. At this time of year, Christians in every culture celebrate what we call the incarnation – God becoming an ordinary human being. 

Theologians will say that God became human to reveal to us more clearly God’s character and purposes. Would it be blasphemy to suggest that through Jesus’ life, God now better understands what makes us tick? Is more deeply aware of the complexities and anguish of human life?  More lovingly engaged with humanity and the whole creation? More committed to this world and all its creatures than ever? 

According to this story, God in Jesus from Nazareth became an ordinary person. He cried, became weary and angry and fed up, laughed and told stories and loved people and stood up to power and corruption and was painfully killed. 

In Jesus, the God who, we believe, somehow created the universe, has been to our place, slept over, in the most involved way possible – by becoming one of us.

This is a revised version of an article which appeared in The Age on 12 December 2010.

Comments

[Jay Robinson]

Beautiful words and thoughts, as always, Clare - thank you so much!