As I was praying this morning, I was thinking about my new grandson, and praying for him, of course, but I was thinking just how small and fragile he is. If you're like me, just holding a newborn is an experience - like, before I take him I want to cover the floor in rubber, cover the rubber with pillows, and cover the pillows with marshmallows, just in case - you know what I mean.
So that got me thinking - in the incarnation, when the Word became flesh, and divinity took on humanity - I guess we (or maybe just I) sometimes forget how utterly helpless and fragile a newborn is. So God didn't just accept the pain and suffering and death that Jesus experienced as an adult, he also was willing to take on that absolute vulnerability which we all experienced but don't remember. As adults, some of us experience more vulnerability and helplessness than others, but to whatever extent we experience that, the Divine Word took it to the max by being willing to come into the world as a newborn. The incarnation is not only a self-limitation (Phil 2), but also a willingness to accept that absolute vulnerability. And with that, comes the total willingness to be completely dependent on (in Jesus' case) Mary and Joseph.
I think we can all do better in letting go of having to control everything and allowing ourselves to be more dependent (more trusting) on God for our lives and our futures.
I hope to see you in just over 2 hours for The Journey!
Dear friends - Please take 10 minutes to watch this personal update from me:
I mentioned in The Journey that I wrote a song based on Isaiah 2, which is one of my favorite OT passages:
In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain, and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it. Many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
I hope you like the song!
I hope to have another installment of THE JOURNEY up this Saturday - here's the text for the rest of the chapter - I didn't bother with the colored text since this is all from the Gospel of John.
