A Vulnerable God
Merry Christmas, All! I heard a wise woman speak last week about the Incarnation and the idea of vulnerability. On Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God became a tiny baby. God, out of love for all of us, became human. Think of how vulnerable an infant is -- totally dependent on parents for food, shelter, safety, love... and yet our God chose to become that incredibly vulnerable, just for us. The speaker went on to talk of our divinization. God became human that we might become godly. And we become more like God by opening our hearts and being vulnerable. Love makes us vulnerable, because when we love another, we suffer with and for them, feel what they feel, and risk the pain of loss ourselves. Our love, our vulnerability, is necessary if we are to follow Christ. I've been thinking a lot about that idea, and also about the connection to the cross. Really, the vulnerability of the God-human is shown in its extreme in the...