After Eight Days...

After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.--Luke 2:21

Lest we forget that Jesus was a Jew, we end the week of saints, martyred in will and deed, with the traditional circumcision and naming of Mary and Joseph's male child. As noted by some, this would be the first blood that Jesus sheds. In this case, this is the blood that would make his fully human self very much part of our ancient reality. Today, Jesus becomes one of us even as God with us.

As I was starting to grapple and grasp my understanding of God as this journey began, I remember remarking to my mentor how important it was to know that the commitment God was making to us began with the willingness to enter the world in the same way we all do, as a baby, vulnerable and dependant on human parents. Jesus (God) would see and feel and hear and touch first hand all the things that are good, but even more importantly, would be aware of all the things that drag the human spirit down. You get that sense later as the gospels capture Jesus' fame rising and the crowds following him everywhere to the point that he tries to get away just so he can rest. I imagined Jesus comprehending in new ways what this particular part of his creation must endure and wanting so much to make those in his presence understand what he (God) had intended from the beginning. Having been down in the trenches with us, it makes the crucifixion and resurrection much more real for me, and much more hopeful. Because this isn't a God that remained aloof, but a God that took part in our lives as one of us. Conquering death through resurrection, therefore, was a sign for all: nothing can stop you; nothing can defeat you. Not even death.

I believe this is true. That not even in death are we defeated. I think there is something more, a reality beyond what we know, that is another step closer to God. I don't have any inkling as to what it looks like, smells like, tastes like. But I just have a deep sense that our true selves live on in a way that doesn't allow death to be the final answer. So sorry, Mr. Dawkins. We simply must agree to disagree.

Today, we mark the beginning of a new year and the circumcision and naming of Jesus. May we who have been circumcised in our hearts ponder his message and carry it forward in our own lives into the world.