The stimulus for this reflection came from a Christmas Eve selection in a series of Occasional Writings I did while a school principal. Those stimulated me to keep a daily diary, which became my Principal's Diary. (This Christmas Eve selection is found in the Resources section at the bottom.)
Last Christmas Eve at our midnight service, Fr Geoff Simpson talked about how the Christmas story has a number of "hooks" that grab people in different ways and bring them into the story. For some, the trails of Mary and Joseph and finding refuge in the stable seem a special sub plot. Perhaps the trek of the "kings" to find the blessed child grabs a few. Or the afraid but curious shepherds coming from the fields. Or Mary's powerful statement in the Magnificat of how God blesses her lowliness and shakes up the accepted order of the world captures our attention.
For me, there is another aspect that provides food for thought ... although it's not part of the written Christmas story. As Christians, we recognize Christmas as the moment of the Incarnation, the event where God became human. I believe that, and I acknowledge this truth each time I say the Apostles' or Nicene Creed. But, I wonder if there isn't a bit more to the Incarnation. Maybe there is some of the reverse ... that humans become divine.
A few years ago at a previous church, I wrote a series of Family Advent Devotions in which I elaborated on this theme of the human becoming divine. The series was called "W/Holy Human?" In those devotions I explored what it might mean to us if we examine our humanness in light of "The Word became flesh and lived among us." We look at Jesus and often see him mainly as divine. We see Jesus showing us what God is like. If we want to see God, look at Jesus. "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)
But, we can also look at Jesus and see the man. He was fully man; he was not God "acting" like a man. He was
fully human.
"Jesus became what we are that he might make us what he is."
St. Athanasius (296-373),
Bishop of Alexandria
He was not God pretending to be human, he was human! Dare we say, "A human ... just like us"?
Related to this theme (in his book Ethics) Dietrich Bonhoeffer says:
"The (Church) Fathers were concerned to say that God, the Son, assumed human nature, not that God assumed a man. ... 'Human nature,' that is, the nature, essence, flesh of all people ... the embodiment of all human possibilities. ... Because Christmas is the physical acceptance of all human flesh by the gracious God, we must affirm that God's Son took human nature upon himself." And also: "Christ was not essentially a teacher, a lawgiver, but a human being, a real human being like us. ... because of the form of Christ, the form of the real human being is preserved, so that the real human being receives the form of Christ."
What can a person be? What can I be? Behold Jesus, the human, and see!
Perhaps too often we are so awed by Jesus' divinity that we don't perceive his full humanity. As such, we can miss much of the point of Jesus' life. Because of limitations we place on ourselves, we interpret many of the actions of Jesus as the result of his divinity rather than the result of the human potential.
We see Jesus "forgiving his enemies", but justify our unwillingness to do so by saying, "I'm only human!" We read of Jesus' indignation at the money changers in the temple, but excuse our lack of response to abuses in our day with, "I'm only human. What can one person do?"
Possibly, most of the time we have it all backwards. Maybe Jesus didn't do good IN SPITE OF his humanity; maybe he "did good works" BECAUSE of his humanity!
The disciples had a unique perspective. They saw the great works of Jesus performed by the same person who exhibited similar needs, hurts, and joys as they did -- a living, breathing human creature of the earth. Perhaps, during these Christmas days we can suspend some of our pictures of Jesus' divine nature and view him as flesh and blood -- as truly human. In so doing we might rid ourselves of "I'm only human!" and replace that limitation with the liberating celebration, "I am human indeed!"
The Incarnation. Jesus is both fully divine and fully human. The Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. I can only understand these things by understanding them as mystery. But, what is not a mystery to me is that through Jesus, I can be fully human ... and that full humanity carries a spark of the divine.
This Christmas, may the Incarnate Son of God help you and me understand what it means to be human ... fully human. Merry Christmas!
Of Related Interest
a Christmas Eve (1992)
Occasional, personal thoughts on Faith and Life, from a layperson trying to understand God in the ordinary days of our lives.
 Rev. John Lewis Posted: 8/25/20 A reflection on a personal hero: Rev. John Lewis John Lewis has been a personal hero of mine. In this, I reflect on his life and work, as well as the hope his life gives. |
 ''Do You Have Anything to Eat?'' Posted: 5/12/20 The post-resurrection stories of Jesus eating fish stimulates some thoughts about a wonderful heaven. Jesus eating fish after his resurrection might give insight into what a resurrected life might be like for us. |
 God's, Sometimes Slow, Movement Posted: 1/10/20 A picture of my wife and Bishop Curry stirs thoughts of the evolution of racial justice. God brings about change -- change to increased justce. Sometimes it is very slow. |
 Sacred Places; OLD Sacred Places (II) Posted: 8/31/19 My Reflection on the Bishops & Breweries Tour genrerated many questions. I've tried to ponder these. At the end of my last Reflection, I listed a few questions (called my wonderings). In this one, I share thoughts on those. |
FULL LISTING of past posts available at Earlier Reflections.
I began writing these Reflections in the fall of 2013 and continued on a fairly regular schedule until 2020. Seemed difficult to get any positive inspiratation to write during that time of the pandemic.
And as is evident by the last Reflections's date, and not done any since.
I enjoyed all those years writing. But was time to quit. Thanks to all those who have read these Reflections and who from time to time continue.
Ever wonder what life is like for a public school principal? For 19 years, I served as a middle school principal. Over two of those years, I kept a daily diary of my work, thoughts, and feelings.
The Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine published a feature on my diary and included several entries. You can see that publication at Principal's Diary on my personal website.