SoulThirst

It's been almost 2 months, and this seems to be abandoned. But I'm back (albeit sporadically)... and if you're reading this, more than likely you were directed from my post on the main blog, the entry dated today.
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What is it that divides the mature Christian from the younger one? What is it about great saints like Peter/Paul, C.S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, Billy Graham, etc... that set them apart as "spiritual giants"?

The learning-curve for spirituality is a curious one, because the "straight & narrow" path is not really so straight & narrow. In fact, there are a good number of curve-balls that I believe God uses intentionally to derail our comfortable and controlled faith. Especially church-types like me: growing up in a Christian home, knowing the content of Scripture up the wazoo, having gone to a Christian college & studied theology, etc. This year, being out of the academic Christian setting of Wheaton College, I find that I am still learning, except it is not out of books & lectures. It is in the turbulent mystery of life.

Christians say that the Bible tells us everything we need to know about life... that it is our "handbok for living." Yet at first glance, the nonbeliever or young believer would usually react with a good bit of incredulity... and rightly so. The Bible does not spell out mechanical steps, nor does it answer our every question. How then, is it truly our guide to life? Here is where I see the line between one who is a spiritual infant, and a spiritually mature saint: The saint is the one who understands the doctrine of the Incarnation, as it applies to every corner of life.

What is the Incarnation? It is enfleshment. It is Jesus, the Son of God, the eternal Word of John 1:1 becoming flesh. Perhaps one of the most beautiful, wonderful, yet most mysterious verses in Scripture is John 1:14-
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth
Today marks the beginning of the Advent season... and as we move towards Christmas, indeed we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ into this world. But the Incarnation is so much more than just a baby in Bethlehem. The Christmas carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem" had it right when it said: "The hopes and dreams of all the world do rest on Thee tonight." A child has been born, not just any child, but the Son of God.

What does this Incarnation have to do with us? Most of us see the Incarnation- this birth of Jesus- simply as just a step in the process. As good Reformed Evangelicals, we center our faith on the cross (and rightly so, nothing wrong with that)... such that Christmas is important because it leads to Easter. But the Incarnation has much greater implications for our faith. The Word was not just made flesh... but dwelt among us... and He still does. The Holy Spirit indwells each one of us who follow Christ, and Christ Himself promised his very presence when we gather in His name. To have Jesus among us... makes all the difference in the world. This means that in every corner of our life:
- our home-life with family
- our duties as workers & students
- our relationship with friends
Somewhere in the midst of everything... is Christ. Although we do not physically see Jesus walking down our sidewalks, we who call ourselves Christians, are his ambassadors... the living & breathing representatives (2 Corinthians 5) of Jesus.

The saint is the one who is able to see that, and live that. The saint is the one who, in the midst of life's darkest trials, is able to see God (or to have faith that even though God seems absent, that He is still real). The saint is the one who, when looking into the eyes of a stranger or of one who is unlovable, sees with the eyes of Jesus & sees the image of God in that person. The saint is the one who, despite the chaos of work, school, & even church politics, can see that God is doing something great in the midst of ordinary life. And the saint is one who can then call others to see what he or she sees. The spiritual mentor is the one who can point and say to others, as John the Baptist did, "behold! the Lamb of God!" ... Look! Over there... there's Jesus!

Sure, I have the academic knowledge & the church experience. But as I am still growing, I look to the saints- the ones I know personally, the ones whose books I read, & the ones who have gone before me in the history of the church, I still lose sight of Jesus, and I still need people to say to me, "behold! there's Jesus!" As you get older, your life unfortunately gets more complicated; it doesn't have to & it shouldn't have to... but usually it turns out like that because we get lazy. In that unholy complexity, we lose sight of Jesus; our foolish hearts chase after other things and our vision gets hazy. All of a sudden, we turn around confused, and realize that we can't see Jesus the way we used to... he becomes harder to pick out in the crowd. The answers from church don't cut it, & the cliched phrases no longer hold power. Where to turn next?

The saints... the spiritual mentors... the pastors... those whom we respect as older and more mature in the faith: supposedly these are the ones who have gone before us, and can say to us, "you might be lost right now... but come walk with me... I will bring you to Jesus." Isn't that what being a pastor is all about... bringing others- both the unchurched and the Christian disciple- to the place where they can once again rediscover the Incarnation in their life. Those whom I respect... it is not necessarily because of their profound insights, great intellect, communication ability, etc. Ultimately, it is because they are people who point me to Jesus.

That's the Incarnation. Goes beyond Christmas-time, goes beyond the baby born in Bethlehem. It began there, but did not end there. Christ continues to incarnate himself to us every day, in every circumstance, if only we took a good careful look around.

posted by Andy Chang @ 1:28 AM 0 comments