One of my favorite theologian/farmers is Wendell Berry. Berry, along with Chaim Potok, were the first writers to wake me up to the sacred nature of everything. Berry is the one I quote sometimes: "everything is sacred, until we desecrate it." He simply says all that God has created is good, holy, sacred. Everything. And, he encourages us to look for the sacred nature of all things and suggests that if we do, we'll find it.
God created humankind. And it was holy and sacred and beautiful. What better representation of this than the Nativity when God became humankind?
If we look at the Nativity story with new eyes, eyes that explore the humanity of Jesus as a model for our humanity, it gives the story different meaning and emphasizes the sacred in all things - especially us, humans. Yes, the sacred nature in you and me.
For my Christmas message I'm going to challenge us to see the Nativity in everything. And, I'm going to challenge us to see deeper into the meaning of Emmanuel...God with us. It is way more than just God coming down to be with us. It is God coming down to be us.
God's greatest gift to us can be an important part of our life, if we make the effort. It just takes a special way of looking...
See you Sunday,
kurt+