As Christians, we affirm a belief in the Son, Jesus Christ. We say that God took on human form, came and lived among us, suffered the same trials that we suffer, experienced the same feelings that we experience. Jesus was purely human and purely divine. Jesus was not just God. Jesus was God incarnate.

Soren Kierkegaard, the great Danish theologian of another century, tells a story of a prince who wanted to find a maiden suitable to be his queen. One day, he passed through a poor section of town. As he glanced out the windows of his carriage, his eyes fell upon a beautiful peasant maiden. During the ensuing days, he often passed by the young lady and soon fell in love. But he had a problem. How would he seek her hand?

He could order her to marry him. But even a prince wants his bride to marry him freely and voluntarily and not through coercion. He could put on his most splendid uniform and drive up to her front door in a carriage drawn by six horses. But if he did this, he would never be certain whether the maiden loved him or was simply overwhelmed by the splendor.

As you might have guessed, the prince gave up his kingly robe. He moved into the village, entering not with a crown, but in the garb of a peasant. He lived among the people, sharing their interests and concerns. In time, the maiden grew to love him for who he was and because he had first loved her.

This very simple, almost childlike story, written by one of the most brilliant minds of our time, explains what we Christians mean by the incarnation. God came and lived among us. In the person of Jesus we are told that God, that mysterious Other who created the stars and the universe, is willing to go all the way; to be one of us, to speak our language, eat our food, share our suffering, and die on a cross. Why? So that we might be redeemed – and grow to love Him.

With Love,

Mike