God-With-Us

“Not only do we realize that God dwelt among us in the humanity of Jesus, not only do we know that divinity is now present in humanity, not only do we experience God-with-us in the Spirit acting in the church, not only do we wait for our final ‘at-one-ment’ with God, not only do we receive the Spirit in the depths of our beings as we open ourselves to be vessels of the living Word – we also come to know that God is with us ‘in the in-between’ that God’s presence is discovered in the zestful, life-giving relationships that we cultivate.” Wendy Wright, The Vigil.

When the church talks about the “mystery” of the incarnation, they weren’t kidding! Wendy Wright references not two or three, but fully six different facets of the mystery of the incarnation. Which of these facets most speaks to your heart this year?

I’ll briefly mention two. For the last couple of years, I’ve been suggesting more and more that I think the mystery of the incarnation is THE basis for a theological exploration of vocation, of all our life’s callings. Why? Certainly, all facets Wendy mentions come into play. But, fundamentally, being open to God’s movement in our life such that we discern his nudges in our relationships, our work, and our innermost self is simply another way of saying we “receive the Spirit in the depths of our beings as we open ourselves to be vessels of the living Word.” To discern, decide, and live out our vocational calls is to open ourselves to God being with us, God becoming incarnate in our individual lives. To live an authentic and intentional life is to open ourselves to God-with-us.

And, regarding that last facet: This Advent, I spent much time reflecting on my longings, as I referenced in my last blog. My reflections regularly and consistently brought to mind my relationships with family and friends. I reflected that if I were to die soon, what I desired most would be to deeply connect one more time with my loved ones, particularly my mother, brother, grandmother, cousin, best friend in Texas, and my favorite-est fellow. The irony of this longing is that I CAN do this during the holiday season. Over the course of two weeks time, I will be blessed to visit with 5 of my 6 closest loved ones. (Grandma in Arizona, I love you and look forward to seeing you in February!!) So, God, I pray that your presence once again will be found in the zestful, life-giving relationships that I hope to cultivate.

How about you - which facet of the incarnation most speaks to your heart this Christmas?
Peace,
Kristina