Active Theology

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:23, ESV)

I’ll just say it – my son has no concept of time. I’m not trying to sound harsh, it’s just the truth. Plus, he’s only 3 years old. I’ve witnessed this lately as he attempts to patiently wait for Haley to make a costume for him. He’s so excited and can’t stop talking about it. Haley could leave the room, return in 2 minutes, and hear Avett say, “Did you finish the costume?”

A week or so after his birthday, he asked if it was his birthday again.

It humors me to hear these questions and realize that his concept of time is incredibly skewed. But then I think, “What a great way to live!” He must be constantly anticipating surprises around every turn, thinking his birthday is coming next week every week, and Christmas is always near. 

I’ve recently been reading a devotional that focuses on God’s presence. Now that we are nearing the summer months, I’ve realized that the church calendar gets us hyper-focused on God’s presence around Christmastime and then we could go a whole year without thinking about it much. 

A big piece of the salvation story is God being in the presence of His people. Jesus, called Immanuel (God with us), was the physical presence of God dwelling amongst humanity. But let’s not forget that this was part of the plan from the beginning. 

The Garden of Eden was a place of overlap, where God and humanity dwelled perfectly together. Even though sin caused separation, God continually reached out his hand through theophanies, prophets, the ark of the covenant, etc. God desired to be with us. God still desires to be with us. I once heard Matt Chandler say that if he could sum up the Bible in three words it would be, “God with us”. 

On this side of the cross and resurrection, the Holy Spirit is the answer to God’s desire to be with us. He’s with us now. He’s in the room. He’s more than in the room because he’s dwelling inside of us. He’s not going anywhere. May this bring you comfort and peace.

When it comes to the truths found in Christmas, let’s strive to have “no concept of time” and celebrate it all of the other 364 days of the year. God is with us.

Pray: God, You are so gracious to give us Your presence. Help me remember that this is Your desire. Father, I welcome You into my life each day. And help me to keep my attention fixed on eternity to when we will fully be in your perfect presence. Amen.

Song: “Face to Face” by Mark Barlow

Craig is a worship pastor at Wallula Christian Church and the creator of Active Theology. He loves coffee dates with his wife, reading, and riding his bike. A few of his favorite things are third wave coffee, vanilla ice cream, and plain t-shirts.