Salvation keeps pouring out of the work of William Willimon.
As Charles Wesley put it in a Christmas hymn, Jesus Christ is God "contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man." All of our lives are lived in the light of a prior choice - not our choice, but God's. Early on, even before we got here, God chose never to be God except as God with us, God for us in Christ Jesus.
"And let the skies rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation may spring up...
I the Lord have created it. (Isaiah 45:8).
God becomes known in and through our space and time. That space is the space of humanity. When the Incarnation becomes more of a reminder of God's way of re-creating all things and bringing humanity into the fullness of God's image, we may begin to celebrate the feast of Christmas without all the huff and puff that triggers guilt and consumerism rather than the sheer wonder of God being eternally for us by entering into our space. It is quite comforting to hear again that simple proclamation that "before we got here, God chose never to be God except as God with us. Therefore, already in all things we enter, we enter with our God alongside us to take us along the way of God's Reigning life that is available to us through the Spirit of our Lord, Jesus. We are never alone. We are never left to go it on our own. We are...empowered and we have a companion who teaches us how to break bread and be participants in the wonderful ways "salvation springs up" by the power of God alone...a power that is called love.
Connection: God with us and God for us. That is the defining factor of our life as we move through this day.
Let you Reign come down upon us, O God, just as you have promised. Though we may be apprehensive about following, guide us with your Spirit and pull us onto the way of our Lord, Jesus. Amen.
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