Advent 2: God is much more concrete ...

Monday, Dec 2, 2013. When we move towards Christmas, we need to face a special message. And every time, I think about this message, it becomes more special to me. It gains a deeper meaning. It becomes more wonderful and realistic.

God is …

The message is about how different God is from what we think when we start to think about him. We expect some great God, who is above all. We expect some God who has created the universe. We expect the great and mighty God.

But what is it that the prophets of the Old Testament foresee? What type of God is it that their prophecy paints into our mind and our heart? It is completely different.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9, 6)

Why is God so human? The New Testament talks about God coming to us in Jesus. This guy Jesus is born as a baby around 2000 years ago. He lives, as we all live. He is part of a family of a skilled worker with wood and stone - the son of Josef, and the son of Mary.

Why is God so human? …

God wants to be with us. He wants to be with you and with me. He desired to be close to humans from the very beginning. He created humans, to have community with him.

We only understand creation well, when we start to see God's deep desire to be with us. We are separated from him. But he still desires to be among us. He comes to us in the weakest form you can imagine: as a little baby.

God weak and naked. That is the starting image which the New Testament gives us. And it is an image which is long foreseen by the Old Testament prophets. They knew, what would come, since God told them long before.

Let us stay with this for a moment. God does not come as the mighty warrier. He does not come as the wise guy initially. He comes as the baby. If you want to know God, start here. Begin with this little infant. Learn to see what God is up to, starting with the kids, with the children, with those, who cannot help themselves. Start to see God in all of them - he wanted to be like them, and with them. He wanted to be and wants to be there for them. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts