The inconvenience of incarnation
Merry Christmas! This short note is in praise of inconvenience. Think of your most meaningful childhood memory. How does the story begin?Â
We got up real early–even before the sunrise…
It was so long, it felt like we would never get there…
We practiced everyday, and it was worth it because…
We worked so hard, I thought my arms were going to fall off…
What do so many great stories share in common? Inconvenience. Lavish use of time or resources. Inconvenient. Sleeplessness. Inconvenient. Leaving it all on the field. Inconvenient.
A good indication of what we adore is what we are willing to be inconvenienced by. Love makes us do inconvenient things at inconvenient times.
The incarnation of God is the inconvenience of God. Staying in heaven and allowing earth to just go to hell would have been more convenient for Jesus. Crown retained. Comfortable throne remained. Heaven’s privilege held on to. But, he inconveniently emptied himself of those rights, became flesh, and was born to die for you and me. Totally inconvenient. If we adore what we are willing to be inconvenienced by, then God must adore you and me!Â
So, come let us adore him! On Christmas Eve, right before the dinner hour (4 PM) or at some crazy time near midnight (11 PM). Inconvenient adoration! Make a memory. Maybe your kids will have stories like mine.
We stayed up so late, ______ fell asleep in the pew…
Remember the darkness as we sang Silent Night and the whole room filled with candlelight…
It was like we were walking to the manger in the middle of the night, just like the shepherds, when we heard and sang the same song of the angels–Glory to God in the highest…
Merry Christmas dear ones. Christ is born for you!Â