The Gospel according to St John has its own nativity story. Whereas Matthew and Luke speak historically, John speaks theologically.
He explains how the One who incarnated is God. The One whom through all things were made. The One who comes as the light in the darkness, is sadly unrecognised by the ones He created.
John 1 v 10
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
From this verse, we find God is a stranger to us. But we are not a stranger to Him.
He knows us. He knows are most intimate thoughts. He knows what we do in secret and how we interact with others. There is nothing He does not know about us.
But humanity, in contrast, struggles to recognise Him.
So how can we know this stranger God?
Rather than coming in glory, Christ comes as a baby human. If He had come in all His power, we would not be able to comprehend Him. But as a human, we have a bridge of common experience.
If we think of a relationship we may have with a pet. We can’t really know what it’s like to be a dog, a fish or even a stick insect. We can’t really know how our pet sees and engages with reality. We might have ideas and think he looks lost, he looks sad or she seems disappointed. But we can’t know what it’s like to be them.
This is why God incarnates as a human. We can know this stranger God through Christ’s humanity. He is the door by which we can engage with the Divine.
Through His story, His life and His Spirit, we can know God and His purpose for Creation.
At Christmas, we realise God knew we were incapable of building a relationship with Him, unless He first came to us. And in a manner by which we could comprehend Him, as the Christ-Child.
Merry Christmas. 🎁
Our Lord and Master now says we can call Him 'friend'.
Merry Christmas, Alex! GOD keep you and yours, my Brother.