bcarson@guilfordcollegeumc.org's blog

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John 1:14)

            This Advent season I have spent a great deal of time meditating on the practical significance of the incarnation.  That is, what does it mean for us that the God of eternity chose to become one of us?  The more I think about it, the more fascinated I am with the mystery of it all, which is both encouraging and frustrating.  The logical part of my brain wants to be able to comprehend everything, while the rest of me appreciates the transcendent nature in which God chose to be revealed.  But the story of God acting in history was meant to be a mystery.  That’s what makes this such a special time of year.  During Advent we are called to ready our hearts for the long-expected Jesus so that the world will be ready for him to burst forth onto the scene. 

            I love the way that Bishop Goodpaster talks about the season, “The Incarnation signals the grand announcement that God will indeed take up residence in our world, renewing all of creation, transforming hearts and lives, and proclaiming grace and freedom. The coming of the Christ brings hope and healing to humanity, and restoration to a broken world. The season of Advent invites us to pay attention to what is happening around us and to be alert to the many ways God chooses to be revealed among us.”

            This season is filled with reasons to lose sight of the reason to ready our hearts.  There are presents to buy, cards to send, relatives to see, and parties to attend.  After all, this is one of the busiest times for most Americans.  It is my challenge to you during this season that you turn all of this busy-ness into a time of worship.  Try to see the sacrificial symbol of giving while you are wrapping your presents.  Attempt to realize Christ’s love for humanity when you are writing your cards.  Be sure to focus on the “humanness” of Jesus birth and life as you mingle with friends at parties.  In doing these things, we won’t lose sight of a God that loved the world so much that he sent his one and only son to bring light into the darkness. 

Reflections, Risk Taking, and Leaving a Legacy

            Recently I had the opportunity to hear Tony Campolo speak on several different occasions at my home church in Rutherfordton, N.C.  It was a great opportunity to hear one of the leading Christian speakers preach from the pulpit where so much of my early spiritual development occurred.  As I reflect on all of the things he said, one thing stands out above the others. 

As a professor of sociology at Eastern University, Campolo is quite familiar with surveys.  He quoted one of particular relevance in which 95 people over the age of 95 were interviewed.  They were asked one simple question: if you had to live your life over again, what would you do differently?  Without fail, the responses came back into three major categories.  They said that we would take more time to reflect, we would take more risks, and we would take more steps to ensure that our legacy lived on after we passed away.  Sounds simple enough, right?  Campolo went on to suggest that all three of these tasks can (and should) be lived out by being followers of Christ.  The one that hit me the hardest was about risk taking. 

By most accounts, Jesus was a risk taker.  In fact, his entire life was a risk.  He risked the comfort of communion with God in order to commune with humanity.  He risked his earthly family and home in order to spread the message of the Kingdom.  He risked his life by submitting to the will of God.  He risked the comfort of popularity by hanging out with those who were the least and the lost.  He challenged his disciples to risk losing their careers in order to follow him.  He challenged the rich, the righteous, and the religious to risk losing their lives if they wanted to inherit eternal life. 

To say that I am being convicted by this would be an understatement.  What am I risking in order that God’s Kingdom might reign?  This is not a call to live irresponsibly, but instead a call to challenge a safe and secure lifestyle.  Loving the unvloveable is a risky endeavor.  Feeding the hungry and clothing the naked requires some amount of risk-taking.  Sharing God’s love with a world that is far from God is challenging.  Are we pushing ourselves closer to a risky lifestyle or are we satisfied with being comfortable? 

Ben (bcarson@guilfordcollegeumc.org)