Some end of year musings
God is with us
Perhaps 'God is with us' doesn't sound much. Not 'cutting edge'? Certainly it's not new. I admit that I'm pretty comfortable with it.
But then why are these atheists so upset by 'God'? Their book titles and magazine columns scream protest: The God Delusion, God is not great, there is no God etc.
There is even an atheist bus campaign in London with the slogan, 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.'
Atheists are steamed up! Pretty passionate about God, or un-god or not-god; or anti-god, but steamed up about God, one way or another.
And me? Where is my steam? My God steam?
I'm a Triune God man, myself. God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Am I passionate about the God stuff? Well, yes. But, passionate about what, precisely? Well, certainly about the God who loves me, even in the stink of my less attractive life-bits. You know: the same God who can love teenage boys whose bedrooms are uninhabitable by all other mortals. That's the God who can love me.
My passion for God is not in protecting or preserving his divine status. For me the greatness of God is shown in the love that suffers. To be divine is to love, and to love is to suffer, and to love is to come and to save.
When I see a babe in a manger and a man on a cross, there I see love.
The God who is sung to by the mysteries of the Tarkine rainforests and by the pleasures of the dolphins at play is the God who made light shine out of darkness at the very beginning. This God who made us is responsible for us and has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
What is a face to a person?
A face is the point of recognition, of identity, the opportunity for relationship. So in the face of Jesus Christ we see God. This is my passion. Now I feel the steam rising in my veins.
The opportunity for relationship with God, to recognise God, to see who God is, is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. Wow! Now that is something.
My bus slogan: 'God is with us. Enjoy life. Hop aboard the Jesus bus.'
Oh! And remember Christmas: 'Emmanuel, God is with us'. It's about the baby, the God-Baby. It's good news. Enjoy life. Enjoy Christmas.
Shalom,
+John