Journey from earth to heaven

Canon Dr Vinay Samuel looks at the Incarnation - a make-over that will last for eternity Christmas is the celebration of God with us; God taking on humanity. Seeing a make-over on TV of a middle aged mother made over to look glamorous, much to the delight of her excited daughter and the TV host, I sometimes wonder how long the lady will retain that glamour. Is God becoming human in Jesus something like a 'divine make over': God becoming human for a while, completing a task and returning to his normal self? The Bible teaches otherwise. The humanity God takes on in Jesus is never shed. Carmen Christi a song from New Testament times found in Philippians Chapter 2 verses 5 - 11 hails the exaltation of the incarnate Jesus with his humanity to the place of supreme divine authority.
St Paul also described Jesus as the 'last Adam' (1 Cor 15:46) and affirms that Jesus fulfilled the destiny of the first Adam, so to grow in the likeness of Jesus, to see Christ formed in us is to make increasingly real in our lives the purpose of our creation. Let me share with you my experience with individuals who lives incarnated some wonderful human qualities.

Radiance in simplicity

Thirty-six years ago as a seminary student in central India, I was in a ministry placement with a tribal group in a remote forest area. While visiting a tribal village accessible to outsiders only a few months in a year, I met Lila Kirkpatrick, an American missionary who had lived in that village and worked in that remote area for twenty years. She lived simply in a traditional hut. Books on a shelf and a few pieces of modern furniture marked her place as different. Lila Kirkpatrick displayed a radiance I found awesome but not intimidating. The simplicity of the surroundings, the absence of modern conveniences appeared to make no difference to a life that flourished in radiating joy, service, care, contentment and enterprise.

Love restores humanity

Later my wife Colleen and I were involved in ministry with poor families and children in the city of Bangalore. Not infrequently Colleen would bring home a badly abused or abandoned street child. Fifteen years ago Colleen brought home a boy aged around eight years who was so badly physically and sexually abused that he behaved like an unruly animal. He was badly speech impaired and it was a miracle he was still alive as he could not clean himself and reacted violently to human touch. What could restore that child's humanity? We were deeply moved when a woman called Papamma volunteered to care for the child in her home. She cleaned the toilets in the community for a living. She could not read or write. In the social hierarchy and caste system of Bangalore City, Papamma was at the bottom. Kumar began to heal physically at a rapid rate but the transformation to his personality was dramatic. In four months, he became a little boy who loved games, eager to participate in every activity and be a helper. Papamma's love and care for Kumar was unconditional and seemed to be without limits. It restored Kumar's humanity.
There is an interesting twist to this story. Eight months after Kumar came to us, we saw the picture of a missing boy on a local television channel that resembled him. We contacted the police and reunited Kumar with his parents. Kumar's father was the manager of a major city bank and belonged to the Brahmin caste at the top of the social ladder. Imagine their surprise when they found out that the person whose love and care saved and restored their child was not an educated Christian missionary but a humble sweeper woman.

Humbly flourishing

St Paul writes, 'I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.' (Philippians 3:10). To follow Christ is to identify with him and allow him to be formed in us. We begin to incarnate in our lives qualities we are created for but which we often think are not possible and sustainable in our lives. In his incarnation Jesus models the path for our humanity. In that journey from heaven to earth Jesus emptied himself of his divine glory, humbled himself, became a servant to all, gave his life in sacrifice and released life and power into human lives. In following that path we will discover the best of our humanity however paradoxical it might seem. But is that the only Christian model of human flourishing for contemporary society? No, but it is at the heart of every attractive and wholesome model of human flourishing. Steve Redgrave's unique achievement in the Olympics also reflects that self-sacrifice, discipline and humility. He comes across as naturally, authentically human despite his superhuman achievements. Human flourishing that is blindly selfish and egotistical, whatever its artistic or material achievements, fails to inspire or empower others. And it often crumbles under the weight of its own narcissism.
The incarnation of Jesus models God's pattern of human flourishing. This Christmas let us celebrate God's great gift to enable us to flourish as humans made in his image.

Canon Dr Vinay Samuel is Executive Director of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies