I am fascinated by paradox in the Christian life, how seemingly contradictory facts can actually be true and how reason isn’t the sole arbiter of truth. Jesus told us that the first will be last (Matt 19:30) and that in order to gain life we have to be prepared to lose it (Matt 16:25). Naturally speaking, that doesn’t make sense, but the more we dive into God’s life, the more we find we serve a God whose ways are far above our ways (Is 55:9) and whose foolishness is wiser than our wisdom (1 Cor 1:18-25).
Christmas is another paradox. It doesn’t make sense that Almighty God would condescend to come as a helpless baby. It doesn’t make sense that the King of all the universe would choose a stable for His birthplace. It doesn’t make sense that salvation comes through surrender and apparent defeat. Our logic, our intellect and our way of doing things just don’t fit into the Christmas story, or indeed into God’s way of doing things. We have to believe in order to understand; we have to humble ourselves before we can be lifted up.
It doesn’t make sense that moments of passion can result in a unique individual nine months later. Parents generally have that sense of awe at the birth of a child: ‘how can this be?’ We may not understand it all, but we can bow in awe and reverence, and if anything, the Christmas story teaches us about how to respond to the things we don’t understand about God. Be like the shepherds and the wise men. Bow down and worship.
