Ardrossan Presbytery
Moderator’s Christmas message.
A few days ago I was talking to a recently retired colleague. She was telling me that her eight year old grandson is attending a Roman Catholic primary school. He came home recently and asked her,
“Granny do you know what the incarnation is?”
“I think so” she replied, “but maybe you could explain it to so that I can be sure.”
“Well” he said “it is all about the birth of the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.
That is why we have Christmas! God became just like us so that we could become just like him.”
It really struck me how simple the message really is, God became just like us so that we could become just like him. Either the priest had put it really well or the kid was a theological genius! So I said to his granny “your grandson is a theological genius!” She gave me a pitying look and said “that wasn’t him it was Athanasius of Alexandria in the third century!”
Despite feeling foolish at having my ignorance of the early church fathers exposed, I was grateful to have had the significance of the incarnation articulated so clearly by an eight year old. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings….
Karl Barth, the Swiss reformed theologian was one of the most influential theological minds of the 20th century. When he heard the words of the hymn “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so”, he said that it was the most profound thing that he had ever heard. Sometimes we try too hard and overcomplicate the message. The Good News isn’t just for theologians it is everyone and ultimately it is very simple, God became just like us so that we could become just like him. This profound truth powerfully touched me in a new way thanks to an eight year old. I hope that one way or another you receive a new insight into what the incarnation really means and that you will be truly blessed this Christmas.
David Watson
Clark Memorial Church, Largs.