The gospel never gets old. How could it? The idea of God becoming human. The idea of God living a fully humble, fully faithful life. The idea that God would offer himself freely for his lost creation. That same God who died on a Roman execution instrument rising from the dead three days later. How could that idea ever get old? It's the most new and refreshing idea and it's been 2,000 years. Although so much of Jesus' life was extraordinary, I can't help but think that much of it was as ordinary as your life and mine. Certainly the circumstances around his birth were different than ours, but the moment of his delivery would have not been that different than most other people living in Palestine around 4 BC. Thinking about that led me to write Incarnation a few years back.
She was writhing in pain as he lowered her to the floor amidst the straw, the mud, and the excrement.
With nothing else to grab, she clenched her own dress - it ripped and tore as the contractions came and went.
Beads of sweat raced down, forcing her dark brown hair to stick to her forehead; covering her face.
Pushed, and shoved through the birth canal, dripping with blood, followed by the remains of
placenta, he entered this space.
With a spare robe he took the screaming baby and wiped the afterbirth from his body; placing him in
the arms of his mother.
His crying began to cease. He felt at home near her; she was warm, her thumping heart was a
comfort and he would not feel safe with another.
She groaned and sighed, trying to catch her breath. Tears of joy streamed down her face as she gently caressed the baby's cheek.
As he slept, she was exhausted so she laid him in a trough. Who would have thought that the creator
of everything could be so weak? - Shay
