Friday, October 14, 2005

Uncomfortable faith

The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God remains an outrageous paradox. It challenges all safe and comfortable thinking, and takes us places we'd perhaps rather not go. To say that there is no place no situation where God is not present is a great philosophical notion. However, it has some pretty tough practical out-working.

Conversation with the Christ Child

So we must make room for you then?
Not just in our quiet moments and holy thoughts,
nor simply in our embrace of the poor and weak,
the victim, the failure or the outcast;
but each and every step along the way.

What you say to us, in the silence of this night
is that we must seek you where we would rather not;
in the hypocrisy and sentiment
that make us shrink and shudder:
in the clash of will and temprament;
the conflicts of interest that frustrate us;
the over-zealous emotion
the burning desire and ambition
that threaten to control and consume;
in the moment of murderous anger
and devastating icy insult.

How do we see that you are somewhere there
in foolishness and apathy, vanity and pride:
there in the abuse of treasured gifts and power:
there too, in ignorance and neglect:
there, wherever we strive and fail to see you,
however hard we look, and long for your appearing.

Is this not foolishness? Impossible for us to grasp?
Apart from you, in whom all things are possible.

Painfully, by degrees, you are showing
that there is no situation
where you do not wait to be revealed
as the love that can transform all things.

JKK 18.12.88

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