The Hurricane Has Become Human

by Ben Sternke on December 24, 2011

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Christmas is an easy time for Christians to get sentimental and schmaltzy, so in the interest of remembering how radically earth-shattering this event was, here are some thoughts on the Incarnation of Christ from N.T. Wright:

How can you cope with the end a world and the beginning of another one? How can you put an earthquake into a test-tube, or the sea into a bottle? How can you live with the terrifying thought that the hurricane has become human, that the fire has become flesh, that life itself came to life and walked in our midst? Christianity either means that, or it means nothing. It is either the more devastating disclosure of the deepest reality in the world, or it’s a sham, a nonsense, a bit of deceitful play-acting. Most of us, unable to cope with saying either of those things, condemn ourselves to live in the shallow world in between…

- N.T. Wright, For All God’s Worth

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

Kim Van Brunt December 24, 2011 at 7:13 am

Whoa, bring it N.T. Wright. Good stuff.

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Ben Sternke December 24, 2011 at 11:26 am

Yeah he's got a little prophetic fire inside that put-together British exterior that comes out from time to time.

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David December 24, 2011 at 10:32 am

Orthodox prayer to the Holy Spirit: O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who Art everywhere peestent and fullest all things….come and dwell in us, cleanse us of all impurity and save our souls,, o Good One.

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Ben Sternke December 24, 2011 at 11:25 am

A lovely prayer. Thanks David. (assuming you meant "present and fillest all things…")

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Ron Allen December 24, 2011 at 1:55 pm

One of my favorite N.T. Wright quotes.

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Ben Sternke December 24, 2011 at 5:29 pm

Mine too!

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Mervin Koehlinger December 26, 2011 at 7:03 am

I read or heard recently (can't remember which or where) that if you can imagine a painter entering his picture or a potter entering his mold, then you have an inkling of what God did. I don't think that I can imagine either.

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Ben Sternke December 26, 2011 at 7:18 pm

Great way of thinking about it, Merv.

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