What is Christmas about? Yes, I realize that’s a huge question. But seriously, what is Christmas about?
We are going to explore that question and ask how we might put what we learn into practice as we work our way through the Advent season.
One thing Christmas is about is God coming to earth. God crammed his huge, invisible, immortal, infinite self into a tiny human baby. God, in all his majesty and might, became a little baby who relied on human parents just like every other human baby. Jesus relied on his parents to provide food, to change his clothes, to potty-train him. Jesus relied on Mary and Joseph to raise him into a man. Why? Why did God do this? To have relationship with us, because he loves us.
So how can we practice this in daily life during the Advent season? The first practice for Christmas is to identify with someone with whom you would not normally identify. This can look like a lot of different things. Yes, I suppose it can all be done as a thought experiment, but I would encourage you to take it further. Maybe it just means having a conversation with someone you normally wouldn’t talk to. Maybe it means working in a soup kitchen. Maybe it means having a meal with someone outside of your family.
Maybe you are a bit more adventurous. You know that homeless guy you pass up everyday? Maybe identifying with someone means buying a couple of burgers and eating lunch with that homeless guy on the street corner. Maybe identifying with someone means taking your youth group and spending a night outside, in order to identify with the homeless.
This is an invitation to be creative. God was certainly creative when in comes to repairing our relationship with him. God becoming a little baby? That’s creative! A little crazy, but creative. God gave up so much simply to identify with us and have relationship with us. Can’t we do the same for others?
The Many Faces Of Truth 