Christmas - obscurity, humility, simplicity, and love

If you haven’t heard, Prince William and his wife Kate of Great Britain are expecting a baby. The United Kingdom is abuzz with the news. Pregnant Kate wound up in the hospital and the press is covering every detail. I imagine it will only get crazier for that poor couple. Can you imagine the day that little princess or prince will be born?No one of earthly importance noticed Jesus’ birth. Not a single paparazzi was there to take pictures of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No one was covering the very incarnation of God. Of course since then the birth of Jesus has been the most reenacted birth of all time. The best reenactments, in my opinion, have been those that have taken place in obscure places around the world and had children for their casts. Nervous directors, bath-robed shepherds, funky props, and the doll playing baby Jesus dropped on its heads innumerable times. Messed up lines, made up lines, forgotten lines. Squirming, fits, accidents, and plenty of sickness decimating the cast. Embarrassing moments, hilarious improvisations and glitches, proud and frazzled parents, and a good time had by all, at least most everyone, especially afterwards.Obscurity, humility, simplicity, love - somehow a high dollar, super polished, performance struggles to embody those realities of the God coming to us in the flesh. The Son of God, the creator and sustainer of all, chose to meet us, engage with us in obscurity, humility, simplicity, and love. And I believe He calls us, those would love and live with God, to embrace them as well. Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, is not something God wants us to just know about, but to engage in.My prayer for you and me, for William, Kate, and their baby, is that we embrace Jesus Christ fully, worship Him faithfully, and imitate what He chose to redeem us – obscurity, humility, simplicity, and love.Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion. Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 (MSG)Merry Christmas, love you, Pastor Hans