Thursday, December 24, 2020

...and the Word Became Flesh

 

Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 2020

In the beginning the Word already existed.  The Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He existed in the beginning with God.  God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.  The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
So the Word became human and made his home among us.  He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.  And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.  John 1:1-5, 14

After a year of being stuck in Africa our Granddaughter made it home this week.  The reunion brought much relief, and prodded joyful memories.  Nine years ago we attended a middle and high school combined chorus concert at my granddaughter’s school.  We saw and heard Christmas, the part where He came in a lowly place, an unexpected place – a very noisy place full of barnyard critters.  


We got there early to get a good seat; and (wonder of wonders) we succeeded, right down front where we could see the dimples on my beautiful granddaughter as she sang a solo part, and we could also see our ,grandson in that red bowtie...priceless!  People were in a festive mood, and the kids sang the obligatory numbers that choirs have been singing for centuries.  They also sang “The Twelve Days AFTER Christmas” (five gold rings that turned your fingers green, along with three French hens that were turned into chicken soup to cure a cold….well, it was a hoot!). 

But that wasn’t Christmas – not the word become flesh.  The stage was decorated, the kids wore elf hats and antlers; but that wasn’t Christmas, either!

What made it Christmas, for me, was the rowdy crowd!  Through all fifteen songs the parents and friends of these kids kept up chatter, trips to the bathroom complete with swinging, slamming doors.  They talked, laughed, and made it impossible to hear the singing.  One group behind us must’ve had bladder problems; I counted eight trips to the facility in the hour and fifteen-minute concert.  The young lady behind me was reclining on her seat, one leg draped over the arm of her chair, dangling in the aisle; she was texting, playing video games, bouncing her baby sister on her lap, talking to her boyfriend, and singing (rather off key) from before the opening curtain, straight through to Silent Night.  It was like attending a combination football game and tractor-pull.  The crowd distracted everyone who was trying to sing, play, direct or hear.  Whew…talk about a “rowdy-crowdy”!  Our “concert rowdy-crowdy” was unknowing of the treasure those 7-9th grade kids had practiced weeks to bring them. 

So, what’s the connection with the word became flesh?  God came to the rowdy and blind…and he did it on purpose!  Humanity without God is blind and unknowing.  Most of our manger scenes are quiet, very pastoral, and serene.  But has farm life ever really been quiet?  With all due respect to “Away in a Manger” – when cattle are lowing, they are loud.  They bellow because they’re ready for something to happen…very ready!  Goats, sheep, and pigs add to the noise too. 


The Word becoming flesh was God choosing to come to the middle of a rowdy mess, like an interrupted concert, a distracted choir, and a crowd, all blind to the beauty.  That’s grace…we didn’t deserve it, but he came anyway.  God chose to die for us – it tells us the truth – we’re that messy! 
He was full of grace and truth…we’re that messy, and he loves us anyway.  He took our rowdy mess to the cross; that is the glory we celebrate this season.  He lived with us, died for us, and rose that his grace would carry us all the way to where he is now.  He did that for us blind, lopsided, and totally rowdy!

For You Today

If you don’t put yourself in the “rowdy” picture, guess again; He came for ALL of us.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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Title image:  via Pixabay.com   W  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For more posts on John 1:1-14 see Catch and The Fullness of Time    



 

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