English
Preparing the Lord’s incarnation
Advent reflection
Preparing the Lord’s incarnation
Suppose we were in the year 3 BC, and God assigned us the task of organizing his coming into the world within a few months time.
How do you think we would go about working out the details for it?
We here, this community would be in charge of it all.
I suppose we would begin by forming a committee and elect a chairperson, a secretary, a treasurer… Then various sub-committees would be appointed to plan various aspects of the project: a welcoming committee; an entertainment committee; a publicity committee; a security committee; even a ticket and reservations committee; a finance and fundraising committee…
I suppose again that we would begin by conducting a survey to collect everyone’s ideas, with a questionnaire asking a number of key questions – starting with – “How do you suggest we should bring God into the world?” and a multiple-choice question, listing preferences for ticking off… should it be by helicopter, spaceship, a popemobile, stretch limousine…
Which dignitaries should be invited to participate in the motorcade?
And where exactly should we hold the opening function – here in the locality? Or rather should we use a world famous site, the Cape Town Waterfront, Wembley stadium... Or the Paris Champs Elysees… Trafalgar square, London… Maddison square garden New York… Hollywood, Las Vegas…
And how should he be dressed? Should he come disguised as a she or a he?
Which TV channel should be given sole rights to covering and transmitting the arrival?
What about God coming as a baby in an obscure dingy stable or shack in the middle of Kibera, in Nairobi? Would anyone on any of our committees have suggested that! Our Saviour original maternity unit was not quite as hygienic as what we would want to organize for him…
But that is the kind of world he came to redeem. A poor, sinful, sickly world/society… One that needed a healer, a teacher, a simple role model… a saviour!
