The Practice of PresenceNäide

Christmas signals that Jesus has come into the world. He entered into our sorrow, sadness, disappointment, fear, and broken hearts. When we are shattered and messy, He does not flinch. He does not look away.

Some of us have never experienced that kind of unconditional love. And it can be hard to imagine what it might feel like. But it doesn’t stop our hearts from longing.

We long to be seen.

We long to be known.

We long to be cared for.

We long to be held.

Some days, it would just be really nice for someone to knock on our door, make us pancakes, and linger at the kitchen table.

When life gets complicated and messy and hard, we long for love to be tangible. To be more than an idea, but a real, embodied experience.

And that’s exactly what the incarnation is.

Jesus isn’t just present to us as an idea. He came in the flesh to embody who God is. Someone we could see and touch and feel.

When Thomas, one of Jesus’ closest followers, doubted Jesus was who He said He was, Jesus didn’t scold him or shame him.

He showed His scars.

At Christmas, this is what we celebrate. The God who made the heavens and flung the stars, came down to live underneath them. His glory, power, and majesty were all packed into the cry of a newborn baby, right in the middle of the mess and mire of real life, The God who breathed life into dirt and dust walked around in a body made of dirt and dust.

And He did it because He longed to be with His creation. This was His purpose from the very beginning, ever since He rested the first humans in the garden. John tells us He came so He might dwell with us.

And the incarnation continues with us. The Holy Spirit has come to dwell in the hearts of all who believe so they might show the love of God to one another in tangible ways.

That cashier who asked how you were doing and actually waited for the answer.

The friend who sent you the text right when you needed it.

The child who threw their arms around you, unhindered and unashamed.

Could it be that these are tangible reminders of God’s presence all around you?

Might you practice becoming more aware of how they might be showing up in this season?

When we get rid of the distractions, when we stop hiding, when we stop striving, sometimes our eyes are open to the reality that God really is near, as close as our own kitchen tables.

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito. And the incognito is not always easy to penetrate. The real labour is to remember to attend. In fact to come awake. Still more to remain awake.”

-C.S. Lewis

Let’s revisit the Wonderhunt film, All This Way, from day one again, and perhaps this time you might imagine that God is knocking at your door, right when you need it most. What would this feel like?

Let’s remain awake to the presence of God this season. When He knocks, may we be ready to let Him in.

Reflection: Take some time to imagine yourself in the place of Lauren (the main character) in the film we watched. What would it feel like to have someone love you in this way? How might it change how you experience this Christmas season?

Prayer: God, thank you for coming to us in such a tangible way. Help us to stay awake and alert to all the ways You move incognito through the world and help us attend to the reality that You are here, dwelling in our midst, ready to be with us. May we open our eyes to all the unique ways you reveal Yourself to us. Help us to release any distractions that may keep us from experiencing Your love in its fullness. And finally, help us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to someone else who may desperately need a knock on their door. Thank you for coming to us when we needed it most. Amen