What
if God Was One of Us?
By
Bonnie Donily
Some
of the most interesting discussions can be overhead
from the backseat of a minivan. Sometimes parents
are even invited to contribute. The other day
as we were on our way to our Sunday School Christmas
concert practice, my ears perked up at the conversation
that was going on behind me. Gil had taken that
moment to educate his brothers about what mammals
were.
"We're
mammals, aren't we, Mom?" Gil called for
confirmation. Tim, who was in Christmas concert
mode and not quite following the conversation,
gave the two of us a confused look when I confirmed
Gil's statement. The confusion became obvious
to us when he protested, "But I thought
we were shepherds!"
Gil
responded by telling Tim that people were mammals.
But Tim wasn't leaving Christmas concert mode
that easily. "So are shepherds mammals?"
he queried. In the qualitative style of a scientist,
he then proceeded through the entire cast of
nativity characters, asking if each one in turn
were also a mammal. Yes, sheep were mammals.
Camels, too. No, not angels. And then came the
inevitable question.
"So
is Jesus a mammal?" By this time Tim was
enjoying his goofy repartee immensely. But when
Gil answered Tim by saying, "No, Jesus
wasn't a mammal. He's God," I had to gently
correct our little theologian. Yes, Jesus is
God, but when He was a man on earth, He was
a mammal, too.
What
parent on their way to a Sunday School Christmas
concert could pass up a teaching moment like
that? I explained to the boys that the whole
reason we celebrate Christmas is because Jesus
came down from heaven and became a man and that
even though He is God, He knows what's it's
like to be a human being, too.
The
boys gave me their token attention, and then
digressed into what the difference was between
mammals and birds. Gil's qualification, which
for some unknown reason involved the number
of times a day a bird goes "poop",
had me making a mental note to spend more time
on Science after Christmas.
As
Gil continued to "educate" his younger
brothers, I marveled at how easy it is for the
little ones to believe. In their childlike way,
they have faith to accept that Jesus, who is
God, was also once a man. By that same token,
it is sometimes impossible for adults to acknowledge
the same fact.
Whether
it's Jesus or Santa Claus, Adam and Eve or the
Big Bang, everyone wants to believe in something.
And when you think about it, the whole idea
of Jesus being born a child of poverty in a
stable, the humblest of births, makes perfect
sense.
God
made His Son accessible to everyone by making
Him a human who could relate to everyone. He
celebrates our joys, weeps over our sorrows,
and empathizes with our struggles and pain.
Most important, he loves us so much he gave
his life so we could be forgiven of our sins
and re-united with our Heavenly Father. Truly
Jesus is Emmanuel, which literally means, "God
with us". Open your heart to His love,
and you will enter into the amazing joy of Christmas
- every day of the year.
Bonnie Donily enjoys reading, writing,
and reliving her childhood through the eyes
of her three sons with whom she and her husband
live with in Vermilion, Alberta. You can contact
her at bdonily@telus.net
Do
you know God personally? Read:
Peace with God
