A theme I keep running into this Christmas season is humility. Specifically God's humility.
It all started in a Jordan B. Peterson podcast, where a student asked what kind of character God would have to have to let mankind "win".
He let Abraham negotiate the terms of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction
He let Jacob wrestle with him as an equal. And hence he is called "he who contends with God" - Israel!
And he let mankind murder his Son for a crime he did not commit
This is a humble God, a loving father. Much like a father who sometimes allows his child to win their wrestling matches, because he loves them, because he wants them to succeed, because he wants them to keep running back to his arms for more without becoming demoralised.
We are Israel, for our relationship with God is one of contending, one of wrestling as a strong-willed child does with their father. Sometimes he does let us go our own prodigal way, but he always leaves the way open to come running back to him. Whatever he does, he does out of love.
And so we come to the Christmas story, and one of God's ultimate acts of love.
Had the Innkeeper known the nature of Mary's precious cargo, he would have given up his own bed for the desperate couple.
Just look at Joseph. Once the angel revealed the truth to him, there was little more protest. He did as he was told, as one does when receiving a divine message. No matter that it would look bad for him to claim a child conceived in wedlock as his own.
If Jesus had come to Earth as he deserved, though, you can forget about all that. There would be no manger scene or anything resembling it. No, he would have arrived on clouds of fire at the head of an army of angels! He could take over the world and no one could stop him. Caesar himself would have bowed before him and no one, I repeat, no one, would even be able to look Christ in the eye.
But that's not what happened.
Instead, the God of the universe incarnated himself as a completely helpless and vulnerable infant, born to a pair of peasants in a nothing town in a nation under foreign occupation, his birthing room a filthy stable. Local shepherds were told of him before any kings, those with the least to offer.
What kind of God does that?
An infinitely humble, infinitely loving one.
As those who have been called to live like Christ, what can we do in this regard?
Firstly, specifically for us Christians, and I could write a whole separate post on this, the almighty, omnipresent God of the universe does not need you to defend his honour. I'll elaborate on a later date.
The rest of these are applicable to almost everyone, including me. I might be the one writing this but I'm still working on applying these lessons to my life myself so bear with me.
1) Always allow that you might be wrong. Just because someone disagrees with doesn't mean they're evil (I'm looking at you, SJWs and alt-right), it means they're human. Hear them out. Respect where their ideas come from. Don't exclude. Look for common ground on which to move forward. To open the doors to proper discourse, pride must be swallowed.
2) Moving out of political rant territory (sorry), a another takeaway: be a servant. In other words, help others when it is not required of you or when it does not benefit you to do so. This could look like volunteering more, or simply doing favours for people at work without expecting anything in return.
3) And on a related note, be grateful and show it. Take nothing for granted, and you'll appreciate a lot more of what you're given. They call millenials entitled ingrates, so prove them wrong!
Studies show that people who are the most generous, most serving of others, and most grateful are the happiest. Even if you aren't religious, there is potential benefit in applying these ideas to your life. Think of them as potential New Year's Resolutions perhaps.
It all started in a Jordan B. Peterson podcast, where a student asked what kind of character God would have to have to let mankind "win".
He let Abraham negotiate the terms of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction
He let Jacob wrestle with him as an equal. And hence he is called "he who contends with God" - Israel!
And he let mankind murder his Son for a crime he did not commit
This is a humble God, a loving father. Much like a father who sometimes allows his child to win their wrestling matches, because he loves them, because he wants them to succeed, because he wants them to keep running back to his arms for more without becoming demoralised.
We are Israel, for our relationship with God is one of contending, one of wrestling as a strong-willed child does with their father. Sometimes he does let us go our own prodigal way, but he always leaves the way open to come running back to him. Whatever he does, he does out of love.
And so we come to the Christmas story, and one of God's ultimate acts of love.
Had the Innkeeper known the nature of Mary's precious cargo, he would have given up his own bed for the desperate couple.
Just look at Joseph. Once the angel revealed the truth to him, there was little more protest. He did as he was told, as one does when receiving a divine message. No matter that it would look bad for him to claim a child conceived in wedlock as his own.
If Jesus had come to Earth as he deserved, though, you can forget about all that. There would be no manger scene or anything resembling it. No, he would have arrived on clouds of fire at the head of an army of angels! He could take over the world and no one could stop him. Caesar himself would have bowed before him and no one, I repeat, no one, would even be able to look Christ in the eye.
But that's not what happened.
Instead, the God of the universe incarnated himself as a completely helpless and vulnerable infant, born to a pair of peasants in a nothing town in a nation under foreign occupation, his birthing room a filthy stable. Local shepherds were told of him before any kings, those with the least to offer.
What kind of God does that?
An infinitely humble, infinitely loving one.
As those who have been called to live like Christ, what can we do in this regard?
Firstly, specifically for us Christians, and I could write a whole separate post on this, the almighty, omnipresent God of the universe does not need you to defend his honour. I'll elaborate on a later date.
The rest of these are applicable to almost everyone, including me. I might be the one writing this but I'm still working on applying these lessons to my life myself so bear with me.
1) Always allow that you might be wrong. Just because someone disagrees with doesn't mean they're evil (I'm looking at you, SJWs and alt-right), it means they're human. Hear them out. Respect where their ideas come from. Don't exclude. Look for common ground on which to move forward. To open the doors to proper discourse, pride must be swallowed.
2) Moving out of political rant territory (sorry), a another takeaway: be a servant. In other words, help others when it is not required of you or when it does not benefit you to do so. This could look like volunteering more, or simply doing favours for people at work without expecting anything in return.
3) And on a related note, be grateful and show it. Take nothing for granted, and you'll appreciate a lot more of what you're given. They call millenials entitled ingrates, so prove them wrong!
Studies show that people who are the most generous, most serving of others, and most grateful are the happiest. Even if you aren't religious, there is potential benefit in applying these ideas to your life. Think of them as potential New Year's Resolutions perhaps.
A belated Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year too!
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