And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us

We who live today and have been blessed by the Nativity often forget how radical this story was to the ancients. Even to devout Jews-- the Lord's own family and community-- the idea that God would come to earth as Himself was beyond imagining. The Messiah was to be a messenger of God, a warrior, who in martial strength and power would save the Lord's people.

No one imagined that the Lord Himself would come among us as a newborn, a helpless impoverished infant born in a cave for animals.

Chesterton pointed out this dissonance with eloquence. He observed that the equation of the Creator of the universe to a newborn in a feed trough was akin to the attribution of gravity to a kitten.

After 2000 years, we still can't plumb the depths of His grace. The enormity of the Nativity is shockingly beautiful. This beautiful truth tells so much about our Lord and about His love for us.

Merry Christmas.