Think of the joy, peace and wonder we feel each Christmas. There's something deeply meaningful about celebrating God with us. Unfortunately, we often confine the incarnation to December. But the incarnation isn't only powerful or worth our reflection around the holy days of winter.
Our calling as God's church becomes clearer when we recognize the incarnation in our daily lives and ministries. Just as baby Jesus was God with skin on, you and I become God's presence in the world, too. No, we are not God nor do we try to be. At least we shouldn't try to be! Instead, our actions become the way God "shows up" for others. We're God's skin.
We love because God loves. We care because God cares. We serve because Christ served. In all that action, we are not satisfying our own sense of duty, responsibility or righteousness. The work we commit to stands as a real sign of a real God who holds real people in real love.
I read something recently that emphasizes all this and adds another dimension to how we understand it. We're used to hearing that we are the hands and feet of Christ. But what about his breath? What are we if we don't breathe? What suffocates the lives of our family and friends every day? With that in mind, reflect on this: "Our calling is to become the very breath of life in the world." The author goes on to say that "we breathe life and love."
As we commit to loving God with all our heart, soul and mind and loving our neighbors, we become God's hands, feet and breath. Maybe God's way is a breath of fresh air to someone who is lost, lonely or struggling! May God inspire us through the Holy Spirit to breathe life and love in Jesus' name.
Stay blessed...john | 
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