Where the Christ is Found

 

“In him we live and move and have our being.”  (Acts 2:18)

I once had a poster that shared a piece of wisdom that in necessary for a healthy spiritual life.  The poster depicted a kindly face on a poster with this statement at the bottom:

I have two pieces of good news:

There is a Savior,

And it is not you!

I have always appreciated this piece of wisdom.  Although God gives meaningful purpose to our lives, we do need to remember that we can only do our part, and that we should not entertain the notion that we need to be in control of how things turn out.  It is a trap to begin believing that we should be in control of things that are beyond our control.

This is something Cindee and I are trying to live out at our home and in our lives.  Like all human beings, we need to live better on the planet than we have if we are to be a part of the healing of our damaged planet.  We are trying to grow or collect more of our own food, to live in a more environmentally friendly house, to be part of building local networks, and to do other things that enhance healthy, sustainable interdependent relationships between people and other creatures. 

But the truth is, we are limited in our understanding and in our personal power.  We are limited in our understanding of anything—even in understanding the complex natural environment on the property where we live.  We can do our best to help the land and life on the property to flourish, but we truly only know so much, and so our best efforts will inevitably miss the mark to some degree.

Similarly, we can, and do, work hard on land relationships and on community relationships.  But truly, we all know that we can’t control the weather, or invasive plant diseases, or other natural phenomena.  And the maintenance of friendships and human relationships is always complicated.  The point is, we can do our best with the understanding that we have, but it would be a mistake to think that we to think that we actually have control of very much.

You and I are not the Savior.  And this is good news, because it is only that knowledge that keeps us sane.  When we forget that fact (like when we start believing and acting as if we should be in control of things we cannot control) then we begin thinking and acting in ways that are good neither for ourselves nor for those around us.  In short, we try to be what we can not be, rather than what and who we truly are.

Yet, in God we discover that there is salvation, and that salvation appeared to us in Jesus.  Christmas is about a baby’s birth—the birth of Jesus, the Savior.  In that birth we receive some profoundly important information about God. 

·      We see that God is not distant, but chooses to be found with us and among us;

·      We see that God is not uncaring, or unmoved by our needs.  Rather, God is responsive to our true needs.  In Jesus we see that God joins in creation’s history and joins in our lives;

·      We see that God’s relational nature works through the whole created order, including everything from angels from heaven, to the creation in which we live (the Star in the East), to the political systems (prophesy fulfilled through a journey for a governmental census), to the people who witnessed it (shepherds, receiving and proclaiming the news).

So…as I think about where the Savior was found, I am left thinking about how well I incorporate this knowledge into my life, and I challenge you to do the same.  For my part, today I am thinking about questions like these (you can come up with your own):

·      How consistent am I in keeping track of what I do have control over, and what I do not? 

For me, my best grade card on this score comes from my emotions.  When I am living with an undercurrent of fear, or anger, or shame, then I am either being lazy about something I can do, or I am trying to get control of something beyond my grasp.

·      Knowing that God cares about my world and about me, how well am I keeping my eyes open to what God is doing in the world, or in my life?

Since God is at work to care for and redeem the whole created order, and wishes us to participate in God’s work, I need to pay attention to all that is happening around me.  Maybe a related question for me would be this:

Where can I recognize God’s presence, moment by moment, as my life continues to unfold?

·      AND…how consistent am I in going to God with my celebrations and my concerns? 

God wishes to be in relationship with me (and all of us).  Personally, I find that it is in living out this relationship (including prayer) that I am most successful in letting God be in control, and in participating whole-heartedly in what God is doing.