Today’s scripture: John 1:1-5, 14 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Keith Phillips):
C.S. Lewis, an English theologian of fifty years ago, may be best known for his book series for children, The Chronicles of Narnia. In another book, The Joyful Christian, Lewis wrote,
The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who created the whole universe, became not only a [human being], but before that a baby, and before that a fetus inside a woman’s body. If you want to get the hang of it, think how you would like to become a slug or a crab.
Christmas is all about transformation, deep change. Just think of it: God became a human being.
To get the hang of it, think about those slugs: slimy creatures that slither around in your garden at night and leave trails of yuck on your sidewalk. Imagine, for some reason, that you’ve come to realize that these slimy, slithery slugs are in desperate trouble, And, for a reason almost beyond comprehension, you love these slimy, slithery slugs; and you want to help them out of their desperate situation. You’ve already tried shouting encouragement and guidance to them, but they just didn’t seem to get what you were saying. And so now, you realize that the only way to help them is to become a slug yourself, to be transformed into a slimy, slithery slug. Now, a slug wouldn’t think that’s so bad, since slug-hood is all they’ve ever known; but you are of a different order. You are a human being, not a slug.
And so God, the all-wise, all-knowing, all-loving creator of the universe, chose to be transformed into a human being. The baby born on Christmas Day is God the Son, bringing life and light that we might be helped out of our desperate situation. God was transformed in order that we might be transformed into the children of God, so that, together with God, we might transform our community, our world, bringing life and light to those around us.
Thought for the day: God was transformed to be like us so that we might be transformed to be like God. By coming as a baby into our world, God changed it and us forever.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.