Thursday, December 18, 2014

Advent Reflection: God Arrives in the Form of a Child


This is just so obvious, I'm even embarassed to share it. That a symbol could be so obvious all along and for me to have missed it for 50 plus years is just startling to me.

A dear friend (and the Canon for Pastoral Care of The Episcopal Diocese of New York, ThankYouVeryMuch) posted something this morning which just stunned me. She said, in part:

Protecting God: So often in our prayer we ask for God's protection. The story of the Annunciation to Joseph reveals, however, that God desires the mutuality of our protecting God, too...
and I guess ... I guess I never truly meditated on the enormous obvious symbol of God coming to us as a helpless little baby who needs OUR protection and nourishment. it brings a whole new and obvious level to me of us as God's co-creators, defining our responsibility in this whole elaborate dance. wow. just wow. Us as God's nuturer.

then another friend got out of me that I've always been taken with, as early as Genesis 3, <[they] heard the sound of God as God was walking in the garden in the cool of the day...> and God used to walk with Enoch, too. It always makes me fall in love with God all over again. The thought of finishing vespers and then taking a nice stroll with God always made me think that God might be a little lonely and I've always thought of the teachings of Jesus to be MAINLY about the fact that people STOLE GOD from other people with their religiosity and legalism and Jesus basically said, don't you know that's all crap? just TALK talk with God ... have a conversation as you would with a trusted parent or someone who is MADLY in love with you ...

so, anywho ... this is some good "meat" to chew on. i look forward to meditating on this for a good long while ...

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