God wants to be defined by compassion

​It's hard to believe that Christmas is only 4 months away. Like everything else this year, it might look a little different. And maybe, for Christians, it will be an opportunity to focus a little more on the "reason for the season."

The words from Henri Nouwen this morning have me thinking about the baby in a manger. They have reminded me that when Jesus arrived on earth, it was part of God's plan. It was God's heart and God's desire to fully immerse himself in the condition of being human.

I love these words from the Downhere Christmas song How Many Kings:

'Cause how many kings step down from their thrones? How many lords have abandoned their homes? How many greats have become the least for me?

They are a reminder that God didn't have to come be human with us. He just didn't. He could have stayed in his home, on his throne reveling in his greatness. But he chose to come be human.

Why would he do that?

I mean, whether you are Christian or not, this Christian story has carried forward for thousands of years. And maybe that is the part of the story that has captivated enough people that they keep telling it and asking one another, why would he do that?

This morning, I'm thinking it's because God ultimately wanted to be defined by compassion. And maybe because God is challenging US to be ultimately defined by the same.

I think God's inexplicable choice to be human with us was the most powerful hands on teaching example ever. Maybe through compassion he was showing us what it not only means to be God, but what it actually means to be human.

Was God showing us that through compassion, humans begin to look as much like Him as they can ever look?

Maybe when humans make the choice to leave behind all that makes them feel strong to walk alongside the weak, they look a lot like God.

Maybe when humans let down the walls that protect their vulnerability long enough to invite the vulnerability of others into their lives, they look a lot like God.

Maybe when humans voluntarily give up their power to make sure everyone feels a little power in their lives, maybe then humans start to look a lot more like God.

Maybe in a few short months, when we start talking about that beautiful baby in a manger, we'll see not a baby who came to be more like us, but a God deciding that was his best avenue to ask us to be a lot more like him.